Trust Me
by iwannagibbs
Summary: JIBBS AU - Gibbs and Jenny meet under stressful circumstances but things improve-for a while.
1. Chapter 1

_**Trust Me**_

**Sheppard****Stables outside Washington, DC**

"Detective, the truck is registered to a Jethro Gibbs. Address in DC."

"Thank you."

Detective Morris wrote the information in his notebook and watched as the coroner's assistant loaded the body into the truck. He walked over to talk to the medical examiner.

"Got a time of death?"

"I'd say last night, probably between 8:00 and 10:00. Single gunshot to the heart. Appears to be of the same caliber as the gun your man found. I can give you details in a couple of days."

"Thanks doc."

A uniformed officer approached Det. Morris and informed him of the information about the gun they found.

"The Sig is registered to a Special Agent Jethro Gibbs with NCIS. Isn't that the same name Taylor found on the truck registration?"

"Sure is. I wonder where Agent Gibbs is now. Let's go see if our witnesses know who and where he is."

Detective Morris approached a stocky young man who was leaning against a railing outside the stable.

"You're Troy Lucas right? You know a Jethro Gibbs?"

"Yeah sure. He keeps a horse here." The young man looked past the detective into the barn area. "Looks like his horse is gone though. He comes out on Fridays sometimes and stays out all night. Usually he comes back about this time on Saturday morning."

"Did you see him here last night?"

"Yes. He was talking to Mr. Sheppard. They were kind of arguing I think. He was still here when I left at 7:00."

"What makes you think they were arguing?"

"Gibbs was giving Mr. Sheppard something but he didn't want it. He kept saying no but Gibbs, he was pushing it you know. Kept saying for Mr. Sheppard to take it and not be stubborn. That's all I saw."

"Okay Mr. Lucas, go with this officer and give him a written statement. Be sure we have your address and phone number then you can go."

Detective Morris turned toward the barn area and made his way over to speak to the woman sitting on some hay bales.

"Ms. Sheppard, I'm Detective Morris. I'm sorry for our loss. Do you know a man named Jethro Gibbs?"

"No, I don't think so. Is he the one who killed my father?"

"We don't know. Mr. Lucas said he was here last night. Did you see him?"

"I just got here this morning. I came out to surprise my father." She took a deep breath and tried to regain her composure. Finding her father dead this morning was certainly not how she had expected to begin their reunion. All she really wanted to do was crawl in a corner and have a good cry. Then she might get her own gun and shoot this Mr. Gibbs herself.

NCIS Special Agent Jethro Gibbs was returning to the Sheppard Stables after spending the night sleeping under the stars and trying to put a nasty, difficult case out of his mind. When he came out of the trees surrounding the stable area he was surprised to see several police cars in the barn area and cops all over the place. He was even more surprised to find their guns pointed at him and more than one of them yelling at him to stop.

Gibbs drew his mount to a stop beside one of the patrol cars and showed the approaching officers his hands. Whatever was going on it seemed they thought he was the bad guy. A young officer came closer and pointing his weapon at Gibbs' chest asked him his name then told him to get off the horse. Gibbs dismounted and the young officer pushed him up against the car. He quickly frisked Gibbs then told him to put his right hand behind his back. When Gibbs started to turn around instead the officer slammed him down hard against the trunk of the car.

"You hard of hearing? Hand behind your back, now."

"I'm a Federal Agent. What's going on."

"I don't care if you're the damn Director of the FBI, put your hand behind your back."

The officer was leaning into Gibbs, pressing his face painfully into the trunk lid with his forearm on the back of Gibbs' neck. Gibbs decided he better just comply so he put his right hand behind him and the officer quickly snapped a handcuff on his wrist. Then he wrenched Gibbs' left arm back forcefully and cuffed that wrist, tightly. Then he jerked up on the cuffs, pulling Gibbs into a standing position. The officer turned him around and pushed Gibbs up against the side of the patrol car with his hand in the middle of his chest. Gibbs glared at him and was glad to see a man in a suit approaching.

"I got it officer," he shot the young cop a withering glare and took Gibbs by the arm leading him away.

"You Jethro Gibbs?"

"I am."

"You hurt?"

"I'll live. What's his problem?"

"His first homicide I think."

"You uncuff me and I won't file a complaint. I don't know what the hell is going on here but I'm no threat to you or your men."

The detective looked at Gibbs and decided to give him the benefit of the doubt for now. He unlocked the handcuffs and Gibbs thanked him, rubbing his wrists and trying to sort out what was going on. He reached up and felt his left cheekbone already swelling.

The detective held up a plastic bag with a Sig Sauer handgun in it. "This your gun?"

"I have a Sig. You tell me, it that one mine?"

"Yes, it is. Agent Gibbs, at the moment you're my prime suspect in the murder of Jasper Sheppard."

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

_**Trust Me**_

"_Yes, it is. Agent Gibbs, at the moment you're my prime suspect in the murder of Jasper Sheppard."_

"Wait a minute! What the hell are you talking about? Jasper was fine when I left here last night. You telling me he's dead?"

"He's dead. Apparently, shot with your gun."

Gibbs could hardly believe what he was hearing. Jasper dead. That was hard enough to hear but for them to think he would kill him was just as bad. As he was trying to get his mind around what was happening he saw a beautiful but obviously distraught woman walk up next to the detective. He couldn't believe he was suspected in the murder of one of his oldest friends and yet he had the presence of mind to notice this woman's gorgeous auburn hair and striking green eyes.

"Is this the man who killed my father?"

"We don't know that yet. It appears his gun might have been used."

The woman walked right past the detective and approached Gibbs. Before anyone knew what was happening she slugged him as hard as she could in the jaw. Her hand connecting with his face hurt more than a little bit but it was nothing compared to the pain he felt when he understood she was Jasper's daughter. The daughter that had been gone for years and whom Jasper had talked about with longing and regret. Just last night they had talked about how much Jasper missed her and wished she would come at least visit. Now she was here and her father was gone. Gibbs just looked at her as she glared at him.

"I didn't kill your father. He was my friend. I didn't kill him."

Jenny Sheppard desperately wanted to seriously hurt this man but of course there were too many witnesses around. She satisfied herself with one good shot to the jaw and as hateful a look as she could muster. Then she turned on her heel and stalked off. She didn't care what this man said. He killed her father and she hated him. He would pay.

As Jenny Sheppard left, the men surrounding Gibbs just looked at one another. Gibbs shook his head trying to make some sense of the last five minutes. He knew he should probably be defending himself more stridently but he was so stunned by what the detective had told him he was still not thinking clearly. Finally, he came to his senses and decided to try and get some answers.

"Can you tell me what the hell is going on?"

"No. I get to ask the questions. I need you to come to the station with me. I will let you come voluntarily but you will have to ride with me. Your truck is still being processed. You answer my questions then maybe I'll answer some of yours."

"Fine. Can I stable my horse before we go?"

"Don't they have someone here to do that?"

"Yeah, usually Troy's here but I don't see him. And I don't think Ms. Sheppard is an option. It will only take a few minutes."

"Alright. Let's get to it."

Gibbs went back to where his horse was still standing and led her into the barn. He got the saddle, blanket and halter off her and gave her a quick brushing. Then he led her to her usual stall and gave her some feed and water. He patted her neck and told he'd see her soon. Then he and Morris walked to the detective's car and Gibbs got in the passenger seat. The drive to the police station was a silent one. Gibbs thought about calling a lawyer but decided he didn't really need one. He wasn't concerned about answering the detective's questions. He knew he hadn't killed Jasper and he was certain he could convince Morris of that fact. He realized he had better call Director Vance though. The idea of him hearing from someone else that his senior agent was a suspect, however briefly, in a murder case was not good.

When they arrived at the station Morris escorted Gibbs to an interview room. He left him there and returned in a few minutes with a cold pack.

"Between Officer Davis and Ms. Sheppard you need this."

Gibbs took the cold pack and gingerly placed it on the left side of his face. "Thanks. Can I call my director and give him a heads up on this?"

"Let's talk first. Then we'll see what you need to call him about."

"Okay. What do you want to know?"

"Take me through your weekend from the time you left your office until me met."

"I left the Navy Yard at 5:15 and went straight to the stables. When I got there Jasper wasn't in his office so I went out to the barn where my horse is kept. I got her out of the stall and got her saddled and ready to go. Jasper came in the barn about 6:45 and we talked for a while. I left about 30 minutes later and that was the last time I saw him. I didn't come back until you saw me there today."

"What time did you get to the stables?"

"Around 6:15."

"Anyone else around when you got there or before you left?"

"Troy was there. He was feeding some of the horses in the other barn when I got there. I saw him walk into the barn where I keep my horse while I was talking to Jasper outside."

"Was he there when you left?"

"Not in the barn or out by the corral where Jasper and I were talking. I don't know if he was someplace else around there or if he had left."

"What were you and Jasper talking about?"

"Mostly just general stuff. We've known each other for over twenty years. He talked about his daughter a little bit. They were not on good terms and he always worried about that. I gave him some money, a loan, and we went back and forth about that for a while. I told him where I would be camping in case he needed to find me and then I left. He was standing by the corral when I rode off."

"How much money?"

Gibbs considered refusing to say but decided it might make a difference and he had nothing to hide anyway.

"Three thousand dollars."

"Lot of money even between friends."

"Yeah. Jasper had some heart problems last year and the insurance company was stonewalling him. I had the money and insisted he take it. He is a very proud and stubborn man and he didn't want me to help him but finally he agreed."

"What'd you give it to him in?"

"A small manila envelope."

"Why did I find your gun at the crime scene?"

"I don't know why you found it wherever you found it. I left it in Jasper's safe like I always do when I go riding. I don't like to leave it in the truck so I put it in his office safe."

"You have the combination to his safe?"

"Yes. Look Detective, like I told you, Jasper and I have been friends for over twenty years. He taught my daughter to ride a horse when she was six years old. I've kept a horse boarded with him for ten years now and I'm out there at least twice a month. He knows I'm a federal agent, he trusts me."

Gibbs realized he was still talking about his friend in the present tense. He scrubbed his hands over his face and took some deep breaths. He desperately wanted a cup of coffee even if it was police station swill. But more importantly he wanted to get this over with so Detective Morris could start looking in the right place for Jasper's killer.

For his part, the longer he talked to him the less Detective Morris was inclined to think Gibbs was his killer. Morris had been a homicide detective for twelve years and he was very good at reading people. He could tell Gibbs was honestly distraught about the death of Mr. Sheppard and even though his gun was used, Morris was beginning to think this was a set up.

"Tell me about the daughter."

"Not much I can tell you. She's been living in Kentucky for the past several years as far as I know. She and Jasper had a falling out about eight or ten years ago and she pretty much cut off all contact with him."

"What did they fall out about?"

"Something happened between them when Jasper's wife died. I think the daughter blamed him for not taking good enough care of her mother. The mother had a stroke and was in a nursing home for a couple of years before she died. I guess Ms. Sheppard wanted her moved or something. Jasper didn't give me details. He just always talked about how he wished they could talk things out and fix it. When did she get here?"

"She said she arrived just this morning. Said she came to surprise him. She's the one who found the body."

"Damn."

"Yeah. Who else has the safe combination."

"I don't know for sure. Probably Sue Peters, she's Jasper's bookkeeper and maybe Troy, he's the only other fulltime employee. There was never any money in there really. Mostly it was for the computer backup files and whatever valuables a client might not want to take on a trail ride or whatever."

"You want a soda or coffee or something?"

"Coffee would be good."

"Okay, sit tight."

Sitting alone in the interrogation room Gibbs reflected that it was a lot different on the side of the table he was on now than where he normally sat. He felt like Morris was beginning to have doubts about him as a suspect which was good. The sight of Jasper's daughter walking toward him kept flashing in his mind. He knew he hadn't killed Jasper but he found himself wondering about her. Surely not. He hoped not. If he had to guess he'd say Troy was the most likely suspect unless it was some random killing by a stranger. But if that was the case how did the killer get his gun? And where was the money he gave Jasper? Gibbs realized he was pacing around the room and finally beginning to think like an investigator instead of a suspect or a grieving friend.

Det. Morris returned with a cup of coffee for Gibbs and a can of Coke for himself. After tasting the coffee, Gibbs understood the detective's choice of beverage. Morris, as is usual procedure, asked Gibbs all the same questions again and Gibbs gave all the same answers. Finally, Morris put his pen down and leaned back in his chair. He looked hard at Gibbs and Gibbs returned his gaze.

"Okay, Agent Gibbs, you seem like you're probably telling me the truth. Go ahead and ask your questions."

"Did you find the money anywhere?"

"No."

"Where was my gun?"

"In the trash can outside the back door of the barn where we found the body."

When Gibbs didn't ask another question for a few moments Morris knew he was trying to figure out what had happened to his friend.

"I made a couple calls while I was getting you that great coffee and it seems you're not just some run of the mill fed. So, tell me Agent Gibbs, what do you think happened?"

"First let me say a couple of things in my own defense even though you seem to believe that I didn't kill Jasper. If I had, why would I have left my gun behind? And why come back? And what motive did I have to kill on of my oldest friends?"

"I agree with all that. I know you have a theory or at least an idea of a theory working so let's go at this together and figure it out."

"Obviously you have to eliminate the daughter first. GSR test maybe. Check how and when she got there. Once she's been eliminated, and I'm sure she will be, then I'd look hard at Troy. Jasper told me a few weeks ago he'd caught Troy smoking pot one afternoon and threatened to fire him if he did it again. Troy had access to the gun and I'd bet he saw me giving Jasper the money. I'd watch him for a day or two and see what he does. He's not the kind of guy who can sit on three grand for long. If not Troy then maybe the guy Jasper fired a couple of weeks ago. He was a part time guy; a friend of Troy's I think and Jasper fired him after he caught him mistreating one of the horses. He was a real punk from what I remember."

"We did a GSR test on Ms. Sheppard even though it was long after the time of death and she was clean. I have a man checking her flight and car rental info. I agree, she's not the killer. Although, you should probably be careful of her!"

"Yeah, you're probably right on that. I wonder if she has a gun."

"I wouldn't be surprised."

"I understand you're just doing your job but I'd appreciate it if you could somehow keep my name out of the media. It would be really bad publicity for NCIS."

"I'll just say you were interviewed because you were there. Of course it may come out that your gun was used but once we have our killer that will be explained. You know of course you can't have it back; maybe ever. I will take you back to your truck when we're finished here."

"I don't want the gun back. I can get another Sig. The truck I do want. Had her a long time and I'm kinda fond of the old girl."

"I understand. Come on, I think we're through here. I appreciate your cooperation, Agent Gibbs. And I apologize for Officer Davis."

"Thanks."

The two men left the police station and Detective Morris drove Gibbs back to the stables. "I'm sorry about your friend, Gibbs. I'll keep you informed."

"Thank you. You mind if I keep an eye on Troy for you?"

"As long as you don't move on him I'd appreciate the help."

"Great. I'll call you the minute I have anything."

Gibbs got out of the car and went to his truck. What a crappy day this had turned out to be. He gave a brief thought to checking on Ms. Sheppard but he didn't see any other vehicles in the lot so he figured she was gone. He decided to drive past Troy's house just to see if he was up to anything. Gibbs was convinced that Troy was Jasper's killer and he was determined to prove it.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: A belated note, this has been in the works for a while now so I hope it's worth the time you spend reading it. Thanks for the reviews and alerts on the first two chapters. The story is finished so I will be posting multiple chapters for the next couple of day. No point in keeping you all in suspense. Right? As always, any typos are all mine.

_**Trust Me**_

Troy's house was a small frame house in a not very good neighborhood. After driving past and seeing no vehicle in the driveway Gibbs parked down the street a few houses and waited. By now it was after 3:00. It had been a long day and Gibbs was tired and hungry and in need of a shower. He decided to wait no more than a couple more hours and then go home. Forty-five minutes later his patience was rewarded. Troy and another man drove into the driveway of the rundown house and began unloading the back of a small pickup.

While Gibbs watched, the two men carried a new wide screen television, speakers and several smaller boxes into the house. Gibbs recognized the second man as the person Jasper had fired weeks ago. Now he was sure Troy and maybe this other guy had killed Jasper. It pained him to realize that the money he thought would help his friend was probably the reason he was killed. That sad realization made it difficult for Gibbs to reach for his phone to call Det. Morris instead of going after Troy himself.

"This is Morris."

"Detective it's Gibbs. I just watched Troy and another guy I recognize as the man Jasper fired, unload several expensive items from their truck and take them into Troy's house."

"Where are you now?'

"I'm parked three houses down from his address on Market street. They also carried in a couple of pizzas and a case of beer so they'll be here a while."

"I'm on my way. Stay where you are."

"I'll be here."

Thirty minutes later Det. Morris and two uniformed officers arrived and Gibbs got into Morris' car. He had spent his waiting time thinking about how to nail Troy for Jasper's murder. He knew the money, at least most of it, was gone by now. What he finally decided to hope for was that Troy had been too stupid to get rid of the envelope the money had been in. If they could find that and find Gibbs' prints on it that would tie it all together. At least it would tie Troy to the money and Gibbs knew he could break the little twerp if Morris would give him five minutes alone with him. All they had to do was find the envelope and then turn on the heat and Troy or his buddy would give it up.

Gibbs explained what he had been thinking about to the officers and they agreed it was a good idea. They discussed the best way to approach the two men and once they had agreed on a strategy they exited the car and approached Troy's house. Det. Morris and Gibbs went to the front door and the two officers went to cover the back of the house. They had agreed they needed to separate the men and they were hoping neither of them were smart enough to object to that. They weren't.

Troy let Morris and Gibbs in the house and after explaining they were there to follow up on Jasper's murder, the other man whose name was Frank Murray, agreed to wait on the back porch while they talked. When he stepped outside the two officers were there. They all sat down at a rickety old picnic table and waited. Troy was, as Gibbs had suspected, too stupid to realize what was going on. He said he bought the television with some money his mother gave him. Gibbs saw the envelope he had given Jasper lying in plain sight on the table in front of the ratty couch where Troy was sitting.

Meanwhile the two officers who were waiting with Murray were talking about what was going on inside the house; loud enough for him to hear them.

"I figure that guy will finger this poor slob for the murder and he'll get the deal and get off easy while this guy goes away for a long time."

"Yeah, you know Morris, first guy always gets the deal."

"Yep, too bad for you Frankie. Too bad you're the number two guy tonight."

"Hey, what are you talking about? I ain't part of no murder! I didn't kill nobody!"

The older of the two cops leaned toward Frank and said, "We know that but ole Troy in there is goin' try to save his own ass and if that means pointing the finger at you my guess is he'll do it. If you know what really happened I can try and get our boss to listen to you but. . ."

"Hell yes, I'll talk to him. Troy ain't goin hang nothin on me. I just went with him to buy the tv. I didn't have nothin to do with wastin old man Sheppard. That was all Troy's idea."

"But you were there and he's gonna say it was your idea. He said, you said."

"I wasn't there! He called me after. I had nothing to do with it!"

As Frank was declaring his innocence again, Gibbs walked out the back door and told the two cops that Morris wanted them. He sat down with Frank Murray and waited until they were inside. Then he reached across the table and grabbed Murray by the shirt and jerked him up. He backed him up against the wall of the garage and held him there with his forearm against Murray's throat.

"Tell me what Troy did or you're gonna wish you never met me."

Murray was having trouble breathing and he was so scared by the look on Gibbs' face that he peed his pants. His eyes were like saucers and there was sweat breaking out on his forehead.

"He. . .,he called me and said he had some money and let's go get us a new tv. When he picked me up he was really jacked, he was talking about old man Sheppard and how he'd got a bunch of money from him. I asked him how and he laughed and said he shot him with your gun. He said they'd think it was you and he'd be in the clear. He said he saw you givin the old man the money."

"The man's name was Mr. Sheppard. Don't forget it. When this is over you need to move very far away from here. If you don't you're going to be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your miserable life wondering when I'm going to shoot you down."

"But I didn't do anything. I didn't kill Mr. Sheppard, Troy did."

"I don't care. Sit down over there and don't move."

Three hours later Gibbs drove into his driveway. Troy had confessed to killing Jasper for the money he had seen Gibbs giving him. Try as he might, Gibbs couldn't get that realization out of his mind. Rationally he knew he hadn't killed his friend but in his heart he knew Jasper would still be alive if he hadn't more or less forced him to accept the money. He had only been trying to help but now one of his few friends was dead. Gibbs kept seeing Jasper's daughter's face and it pained him to think about how she must be feeling. That brought his mind around to his own father and the fact that he hadn't spoken to him in too many years. Maybe that needed to change.

As usual that night, Gibbs found his comfort in his boat and a bottle of bourbon. Several hours of sanding and several doses of bourbon helped ease the guilt for a few hours. Just after midnight he managed to get himself up the stairs and into bed. Before he fell asleep, Gibbs' thoughts went back to Jennifer Sheppard. He knew he needed to face her before too much time passed. He wondered what would become of the stables her father had loved so much.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Trust Me**_

Sunday morning was clear and bright with a warm breeze that carried the promise of a beautiful day. Gibbs decided to go back to the stables, maybe go for a ride and see Jennifer Sheppard. He wanted to let her know how sorry he was about her father. And he wanted to find out if she was going to be keeping the stables or selling out. He mentally prepared himself to face her knowing she was most likely still angry and definitely still grieving her father's death. Gibbs knew all about grief turning to anger. He hoped he could keep her from being angry with him.

Facing Jennifer Sheppard would have to wait. On the way to his car Gibbs' phone rang and he had to go to work. By the time he went home again it was Tuesday night. Wednesday was spent doing the paperwork that completed their case and that night he finally got back to his beloved boat. While he was sanding, Gibbs thought about Ms. Sheppard and the stables and wondered how she was coping. He decided maybe he could help her without her knowing it. He put down his tools and picked up his phone to call someone who he knew kept a horse at the stables.

"Janice this is Jethro Gibbs. I hope I'm not calling too late."

"No, it's fine. Bill isn't here though. Can I help you?"

"Have you heard what Jasper's daughter plans to do with the stables?"

"I was there today and she said she plans to stay and manage it herself if she can find a good person to help her. It's terrible about Jasper and to think Troy would kill him. It's just awful."

"Yes it is. Thanks for the information Janice. Good night."

Well at least she wasn't closing the place down Gibbs thought. His next call was to an old friend from the Corps. David had retired a couple of years ago and his wife had died last year. Gibbs knew his friend was at loose ends and needed something to keep him busy. And, David loved horses and was better with them than he was with people. Sort of like Gibbs himself.

"Hey, David, you awake?"

"Hell yes, Gunny. How are you?"

"I'm fine. Listen buddy, you still looking for something to do with your time?"

"Some days I am. Whatta you got in mind?"

Gibbs explained his idea to his friend. David was definitely interested and said it sounded like something he would enjoy. Gibbs cautioned him not to mention his name or he for sure would not get hired and just possibly would be shot.

"I won't mention your name and if I ever see you there I'll ignore you. How's that?"

"Perfect. Good luck my friend and thank you."

"I think I'm the one who should be thanking you but you're welcome. I'll call you and let you know how it goes. Buy you a drink sometime?"

"Yeah. Let me know."

The rest of the week passed without another case coming in and early Saturday morning Gibbs was on his way to the stables. He was looking forward to spending the day riding and relaxing in the woods but he was definitely not looking forward to his inevitable encounter with Ms. Sheppard. He figured if he stayed out of her reach at least he could get away without a sore jaw this time. He was very sympathetic to her grief but he still didn't want to get too close; not yet anyway.

When he pulled into the parking lot he saw only one other vehicle, Jasper's black Ford pickup. Jethro Gibbs was not afraid of much but still, he sat in his own truck for a good ten minutes working up the courage to confront Jasper's very beautiful, very angry daughter. Finally, he got out and walked to the office. The door was locked and no one was around so Gibbs went to the barn to get his horse ready. For the last ten years Gibbs had boarded a horse with Jasper. His latest horse, a buckskin mare named Nellie, neighed and shook her head up and down when Gibbs entered her stall and gave her a handful of apple slices.

Gibbs stroked the mare's neck and spoke softly to her while he put her bridle on her and led her out of the stall. He took her outside and began brushing her down while he kept up a steady stream of one sided conversation. He found Nellie much easier to talk to than any human he knew. The truth was that being with Nellie relaxed him and brought back lots of happy memories of riding with Kelly when she was just barely old enough to sit in a saddle. It was Kelly who suggested Nellie as a good name for a horse. She told him once she was going to name her own horse Nellie. When he had asked her what horse she was talking about she explained she was talking about the horse he was going to get her when he came back from the war. She was sitting on his lap at the time and the certainty in her eyes as she told him her plan still brought a smile to his face. There was still much sadness and pain connected to his memories of Kelly and her mother but for some reason being with Nellie and riding her only reminded him of happy times.

If anyone asked him later how Jenny managed to sneak up on him Gibbs would have said he was focused on the horse but in truth he had no idea how she had gotten so close without him hearing her. Nevertheless when he turned around and saw Jenny Sheppard standing no more than ten feet away he was surprised. He looked at her and was struck again by her natural beauty. She was dressed in black riding pants and boots and a light blue short sleeved tee shirt. The pants and tee fit her very nicely and showed off her figure in a way that made his mouth go dry. Her dark red hair was pulled into a loose pony tail and there were strands sticking out here and there giving her a sort of mussed but very lovely appearance. It was her eyes that held his attention though. He had never seen such green eyes in his life. They were framed by long thick lashes and right now they were blazing at him with a fierceness that made him almost as nervous as the gun she was holding. She was cradling a nice looking twenty-two rife and looked very comfortable doing so. Neither of them spoke for several long moments.

"You planning to use that or you just carry it around for show?"

"You never know when you'll find a snake in the barn. Returning to the scene of your crime, Agent Gibbs?"

It took him a few seconds to focus on what she was saying and manage to form a reply.

"I'm very sorry about your father. I'm sure you know by now that I didn't kill Jasper."

"Maybe you didn't pull the trigger but you supplied the motivation and the weapon."

That statement caused a lot more pain than her fist had when she slugged him last week. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he looked back at her trying to keep his gaze steady. There wasn't anything he could say to dispute her since essentially what she said was true so Gibbs just kept his mouth shut and watched her. She was beautiful and formidable and he wondered if he would ever get her to trust him.

"You will need to find another stable for your horse, Agent Gibbs. Your contract with my father expires at the end of the month and I will not be renewing it so I will expect you to be gone after that."

Ms. Sheppard held the rifle easily at her side and turned to leave.

"Please don't ask me to do that."

"I'm not asking."

"Ms. Sheppard, please don't force me to do that."

As she walked off, she didn't turn around but she called back to him, "End of the month, Agent Gibbs."


	5. Chapter 5

_**Trust Me**_

He watched her walk away and noted the view was almost as appealing as the view of her facing him. Sighing he turned his attention back to Nellie and finished brushing her. Then he saddled her and rode off into the woods to think. Gibbs spent the whole day in the woods but by the time the sun was setting he still had no idea how to get past Ms. Sheppard's anger and distrust of him. He very much did not want to have to give up coming to this particular area to ride and spend time in the wilderness; it was one of the few escapes he had from the ugliness of his job. This was the only place besides his house where he could still hear Kelly laughing. When he was riding in these woods he felt as close to his wife and daughter as was still possible. He didn't want to give that up even after all these years.

By the time Gibbs returned to the stables he had worked up fair amount of anger at the situation Ms. Sheppard was putting him in. He unsaddled Nellie, hosed her off and brushed her before putting her back in her stall with fresh supply of food and water. He rubbed her velvet soft nose and promised her he'd be back as soon as he could. Then he marched himself to the office determined to convince Ms. Sheppard to let him keep Nellie here. He opened the door to the office and found a young woman at the desk but no Jenny Sheppard.

"Is Ms. Sheppard here?"

"Jenny? No, she's gone."

"Is she coming back today?"

"No. Are you Agent Gibbs?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"She said you were the last one here and I was supposed to lock up when you left. Are you leaving?"

"Can you tell me how to get in touch with Ms. Sheppard?"

"Jenny will be here in the morning I imagine. Are you leaving, because I have someplace I need to be and I'd like to go."

"Yeah, I'm leaving. I'll walk you out."

"Thanks. I'm Sandi by the way."

As they walked to the parking lot Gibbs asked the young woman, "Are you a friend of Ms. Sheppard?"

"Yes, I worked for her in Kentucky and she asked me to come up and help out here until she can hire someone. She goes by Jenny by the way."

Gibbs wondered if his friend had been out yet about the job. "Do you know if anyone has showed up for a job here?"

"Yeah as a matter of fact a guy came by on Thursday and I guess he'll be starting Monday. Nice man about your age I'd say. Jenny really liked him. Good thing too because I need to get back to the farm. We have five mares about to foal and I need to be there."

"So, Ms., I mean Jenny was working on a horse ranch before she came back here?"

"Yes, she was managing a small place that was bought out by a larger ranch. She's wonderful with horses. Her passion is getting kids connected with horses. I think she wanted to get something along the lines of a riding school going up here with her father. It's so sad about him getting killed. Thanks for waiting for me. And, Agent Gibbs, please don't tell Jenny I talked to you about her. I think she's pretty angry at you but you seem really nice. You have very nice eyes."

"Thank you, Sandi. It was nice meeting you."

On his way home Gibbs resolved to go back to the stables in the morning and talk to Jenny. He knew there were things he needed to say to her about her father's murder and he wanted to persuade her to let him continue to board Nellie there. The memory of how she looked standing in front of him today swam through his mind. She was beautiful and tough and he had no doubt she knew exactly what to do with that rifle she'd been holding. He just hoped he could keep her from using it on him.

Gibbs spent Saturday night working on his boat and finishing off a bottle of Jack Daniels. When he woke up in the basement on Sunday morning his back and his head hurt in equal proportions. He heard thunder rumbling overhead and realized the pounding in his head wasn't just from the bourbon. It was pouring down rain when he went upstairs and looked out the front door. At that point he decided his meeting with Jenny Sheppard could wait; he wanted a shower and just maybe a nap.

While Gibbs was deciding to stay at home instead of fighting the rain, Jenny and Sandi were already at the stables. Horses had to eat no matter the weather so the two of them were wrapped in slickers and rain hats taking care of business. Once all the horses were fed and watered the two women retreated to the office to dry off. Jenny had not done much with her father's office so far and decided today would be a good day to clean it out and organize things the way she wanted them.

She was sorting through papers in her father's desk while Sandi looked through a box of photos. Her father had been a meticulous record keeper and Jenny was glad to see all his ledgers and records were in order. There wasn't really much she needed to do except sort out his few personal items and arrange the desk to her way of working. She had a few files of her own to put in place but nothing she couldn't manage in just a couple of hours.

"There are some great pictures of you in here, Jenny."

"Really? Let's see."

Sandi handed her three framed photos of herself standing next to different horses. Jenny smiled and touched the pictures, remembering each one.

"My mother was the one who took these. Can you believe what I was wearing? Those outfits are hideous."

"Well, I will say your sense of fashion has improved with age. Who are all these other kids?"

"Those are children my dad had in his riding classes. See, I wasn't the only one with bad taste in clothes."

"Who is this little girl? This isn't you is it?"

Jenny took the frame and studied the picture. It was of a young girl no more than six or seven years old. She had her hair is pigtails and she was sitting on black horse Jenny remembered.

"No that's not me. I remember that horse because of the four white socks but that's not me."

Jenny studied the picture and something began tickling her memory. There was something important about this picture; about this little girl, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She took the back off the frame to see if her father had written on the back. He had. When she saw the name suddenly her memory of the child was complete.

"Oh my god!"

"Jenny, what is it. Who is she?"

"Her name is Kelly Gibbs."

"Gibbs. You mean like in Agent Gibbs?"

"Yes. Oh my gosh. He's her father. That's why he was so insistent on staying here. Damn."

"What do you mean? What difference would it make if she rode here when she was little. She must be college age by now or older."

"She's dead. He was a Marine. Kelly and her mother were killed while he was overseas. They were in a car wreck in California I think. I remember because my mom and dad were so upset. I was in college but I remember them talking about it. My dad taught Kelly how to ride when she was only six or so. He said she was a natural. I saw her out here a few times with her mom when I was home on break. That's why Agent Gibbs was still friends with my dad and it's probably why he doesn't want to move his horse to another stable. Damn, now what am I going to do?"

"Well, if you're asking my opinion I think you should let him stay here. He's actually pretty nice I think. And he has the most fabulous blue eyes."

Jenny fixed her young friend with a look that scared most people. "Yeah, and he gave my dad the money that got him killed. Oh, and it was his gun the guy used. What about that?"

Sandi didn't flinch from Jenny's glare. She knew her too well and knew she was mostly bluster. "How do you think he feels? Jenny, you can't blame him for what happened to your father. The police explained he gave Jasper the money because he was trying to help. And he always left his gun in the safe. Troy killed your father, not Agent Gibbs."

"I know. It's just. . .Oh I don't know. It's such a mess."

"Jenny, I think you're feeling guilty and you're blaming things on Agent Gibbs that you really feel responsible for yourself."

Jenny stared out the window at the pouring rain. It was such a bleak day. Almost as bleak as her own feelings.

"When did you get so smart young lady? Yes, I feel guilty that I wasn't here, that I didn't know my dad needed money. Maybe if I'd been a better daughter this wouldn't have happened. It's much easier to blame him than to accept my own part in how my father lived his last few years."

"I got smart hanging around with you. Okay, you blame yourself. That's not going to help anything or change anything. If you can forgive Agent Gibbs; and I know you want to, then you can someday forgive yourself. You came back Jenny. You took the first step to mend your relationship with your father. Give yourself some credit for that. You have things to do now and you can't do them unless you have your head together. It's not just about you anymore, Jenny. And, one more thing, you deserve a chance to be happy."

Jenny turned from the window and smiled at Sandi. She went to her and hugged her and said, "Thank you my friend. You're right, I have a lot I want to accomplish and I need to get busy. Come on, let's get this office in shape and go eat some lunch before you have to leave."

After lunch Jenny drove Sandi to the airport. On the way the younger woman decided to plant some ideas in her mentor's head just to give her something to think about for the next few weeks.

"Okay, so you're going to let Agent Gibbs stay right?"

"Yes, I'll let him stay. He's not there that often anyway so I guess it won't matter. I can stand seeing him once or twice a month. In fact I can just let David deal with him and I won't have to see him even that much."

"I was thinking maybe you might want to see him more than that after you really get a good look at him."

"I had a good look at him last week and again yesterday."

"Did you notice what fabulous blue eyes he has? And what good shape he's in? I'm sure you didn't get to see it but he has a really nice smile too."

Jenny looked over at Sandi and raised an eyebrow. Then she frowned and shook her head.

"Do not even think you are going to get me interested in that man. I have no interest in him. You know I have terrible luck with men. Don't go there my friend."

"I'm just saying. . .he's cute and he's single."

"No! Not going to happen. I have no time for a man and if I did he's not the one. Besides, I'm sure he thinks I'm a royal bitch."

"Change his mind. At least keep your mind open."

When Jenny left Sandi at the airport she promised to keep an open mind where Agent Gibbs was concerned. She had no intention of keeping that promise or of becoming friends with Gibbs but Sandi didn't need to know that. She was going to let him continue to board his horse with her but that didn't mean she had to see him. Jenny was certain she could manage the situation as long as he stayed away from her. She felt bad for him knowing what she did about his family but there no reason for them to have more than a business relationship. His friendship with her father not withstanding, she wasn't interested in being Agent Gibbs' friend.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Trust Me**_

Gibbs didn't get back to the stables for the next two weeks. David had called and told him he got the job so he knew Jenny at least had some reliable help there. He felt good about being able to help her even if she didn't know about his involvement. In a small way it made up for what he saw as his part in Jasper's death. He knew he had to go talk to Jenny; the end of the month was approaching and he had not made any arrangements to move Nellie. He kept telling himself he could change her mind but in his heart he didn't believe that.

Finally on the last Saturday of the month Gibbs went to the stables to try and persuade her to let him keep Nellie there. When Gibbs arrived at the stables he found Sue back at work in the office. She was a Army widow with two sons in college and she ran the office with an efficiency that rivaled anything Gibbs ever saw in the Marines. She was easily the most organized, energetic person he knew.

"Hi, Sue, It's good to see you here again."

"Good morning Agent Gibbs. I was so shocked to learn about Jasper's murder when I got back from my vacation. Luckily for me, Jenny was good enough to keep me on. Have you met her?"

"Yes, we've met. Is she around?"

"She's out in the ring with some students. She's started a riding class on Saturday mornings. She has some good ideas; plans I know Jasper would have been excited about."

"I'll go see Nellie. Could you tell her I'm here and I need to talk to her?"

"Sure. Is something wrong, Gibbs?"

"She wants me to move Nellie."

"Oh dear. Why?"

"She blames me for Jasper's death. Can't fault her really but I hope I can convince her to let me keep Nellie here."

"Does she know why you want to stay?"

"No, and I'd like to keep it that way. I'll handle it, Sue. Don't worry."

"Okay, I'll tell her you're here. Good luck."

Gibbs went to the barn where Nellie was kept and found David cleaning out stalls and feeding the horses.

"Hey, Gunny, how's it going?"

"Good. How's it going here?"

"I love being out here. Jenny is a good woman, Jethro. I thank you for steering me out here."

Gibbs stood in the stall with Nellie, rubbing her neck and feeding her carrots. Something about being with this beautiful animal always calmed him no matter what was going on at work or in his personal life.

"Jethro, you okay?"

"Yeah. She wants me to move Nellie to another stable."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I know what this place means to you. Have you talked to her, explained why you're here?"

"No. I don't want her pity. I'm not sure how to change her mind though."

"You know, Jethro you two have an awful lot in common. Maybe if you just talk to her, let her get to know you, she'll change her mind."

"I don't know what we have in common except her father and she blames me for his death. Can't say I blame her for that. She's made it pretty clear she doesn't want me around so I doubt she has any interest in getting to know me."

"Well, as far as what you two have in common, she takes her coffee strong and black and she keeps a bottle of Maker's Mark in her bottom drawer. And she sure loves these horses. You can be pretty persuasive when you want to my friend. Try charming her."

David looked toward the barn door and saw the object of their conversation coming toward them leading two horses.

"She's on her way in here, Gunny. Just talk to her. She's a good person."

"You need to be telling her I'm a good person. I'm not the one forcing me to leave."

David went toward Jenny and took the leads from her. "Thank you David. Would you please put these two up for me. And give them some extra treats. They earned them putting up with those kids today!"

"Sure thing Jenny. Agent Gibbs wanted to see you I think."

Jenny thanked him and looked into the barn. She saw Gibbs talking to his horse while he fed her carrots. As she watched, he turned and saw her looking at him. She thought maybe he smiled at her but she ignored that and went to talk to him.

"Agent Gibbs, I understand you want to talk to me."

"Could you just call me Gibbs or Jethro?"

"Of course. What can I do for you Gibbs?"

"Can I persuade you to let me keep Nellie here? I really don't want to move her to a new stable. She's been here for a long time and we're both comfortable here."

"You can stay. Was there anything else?"

Gibbs just stared at her thunderstruck by her quick response to his request. While he was trying to figure out what was going on she just looked at him and when he didn't say anything right away she turned to walk away. Gibbs stepped out of the stall and followed her.

"Jenny wait."

Jenny stopped and turned around. They were only a few feet apart and, try as she might, she couldn't help but notice his very blue eyes. Sandi was right; he was a very attractive man. Jenny scuffed her boot in the straw and brushed some hair out of her face.

"What is it Gibbs?"

"Why did you change your mind? Last week you were very clear you didn't want me here."

"I still don't want you here but Sandi helped me see that I was unfairly blaming you for my father's death. There is no reason why you can't continue to board Nellie here and ride here. You and I don't have to cross paths except for business purposes. I can manage that if you can."

"Of course I can. Thank you, Jenny. There's something else though isn't there? I can see it in your eyes, there's something else going on here. What is it?"

Jenny studied him and debated telling him the real reason she had changed her mind. She had no idea how he knew she wasn't telling the whole truth but obviously he did. Suddenly she was very tired and she didn't want to have this conversation.

"I've told you why I changed my mind. If that's not good enough for you I'm sorry. I have things to do Agent Gibbs, so if you'll excuse me I need to go. David or Sue can take care of anything you need regarding Nellie."

Jethro stood where he was and didn't say anything to stop her when she walked away. He watched her go and shook his head. She was certainly beautiful and maybe just as stubborn as her father had been. Clearly she didn't trust him but for some reason she had decided to let him stay. It wasn't because she felt bad about blaming him for Jasper's death; she probably still did blame him. There was something else at work here but he decided not to worry about that for now. He would figure out how to get her to trust him and he would figure out what she wasn't telling him. Not today though. Today he was going for a ride and enjoy his good fortune.

Jethro spent the rest of the day wandering in the woods letting Nellie take him where she wanted. The two of them had spent many long days exploring this area so there wasn't any place in the surrounding forest they weren't comfortable with. Jethro let his mind wander to happy times he had spent riding with Shannon and Kelly, teaching Kelly how to ride and take care of her horse. They loved camping together and Kelly was a natural on horseback. Jethro often wondered what kind of person she would have been if not for that damned drug dealer in California. He always concluded she would have been a loving, capable and beautiful person; just like her mother.

That night when he got back to the barn area David was waiting for him. "Have a good ride my friend?"

"Yeah, it was nice and quiet out there today. Sorry I kept you here so late."

"Don't worry about it. I'd rather be here than sitting at home watching the idiot box. Besides, now you can buy me that drink."

"Good idea."

Jethro got Nellie back to her stall, fed and watered her and the two men walked to the parking lot together. Jethro's phone beeped at him and work had once again intruded on a quiet evening. "Gotta go David. Buy you that drink next time."

"Sure thing Gunny. Be safe."


	7. Chapter 7

_**Trust Me**_

On the third Monday of June, six weeks after Jasper's death, both Jenny Sheppard and Jethro Gibbs received registered letters from Jasper. More precisely the letters were delivered from the office of Jasper's attorney. Letters written to a daughter and a friend. Letters intended to ease the burdens of grief and regret felt by the daughter and to express gratitude for decades of friendship from a very private but very trusted friend.

Jethro signed for his letter late in the afternoon and took it with him to get coffee. He walked the two blocks to his caffeine dealer with the letter in his jacket pocket. He had gotten a lot of letters from lawyers over the years and none of them had been good news so he wasn't in any hurry to open this one. Instead he thought about Jenny Sheppard and realized he hadn't seen her in almost three weeks. He hadn't been out to ride much lately and the one time he was there Sue said she was busy in the office. Since he didn't have anything particular to see her about he just went about his business and left her alone. That was beginning to bother him though.

Knowing Jasper as well as he had, Jethro felt like he was letting his friend down by not checking on Jenny and letting her know he was available to help her if she needed anything. Of course they had gotten off to what would generously be called a rocky beginning but Jethro still felt like he should be doing more. As he entered the coffee shop he resolved to take the time to at least offer his friendship to Jenny one more time. He got his coffee and went across the street to the park so he could read his letter in private.

Jethro opened the envelope and found another envelope and a brief, typewritten note on the attorney's letterhead. The note explained that he had been instructed to forward the enclosed letter to NCIS Special Agent L. Jethro Gibbs no sooner than six weeks after Jasper Sheppard died. That was basically the extent of the explanation. Jethro opened the second envelope and read Jasper's letter.

_Dear Jethro,_

_If you are reading this then I am finally reunited with my beloved Emily. I know you understand my joy at that circumstance. This is a bit odd I admit but you know how much I like to do things my way. I thank you for your many years of friendship. You are one of the best men I have ever had the privilege of knowing and I thank you for all the ways, large and small, that you have helped me over the years. Now I have one last favor to ask of you._

_You are one of the very few people who know of my estrangement from my daughter. I know you understand the pain in my heart because of our distance both physical and emotional. I don't mean to play on your feelings about your own lost daughter because your pain is much different; final and complete whereas mine still clings to a thread of hope. Sadly, if you are reading this, it means Jenny and I did not reconcile prior to my death. If we had, my attorney would have destroyed this letter. _

_Back to my request of a favor. Jethro, please look out for Jenny. I suppose that request should come with a warning! She is definitely strong willed and always certain of her own ability to do just about anything by herself. She is also very intelligent, extremely gifted with horses and generous to a fault to those she loves. I have friends in Kentucky who have been keeping an eye on her for me these last few years so I know she is successful and well respected in the horse community. If she has taken over the stables they will be in good hands. _

_For all her intelligence and good sense when it comes to horses she has terrible luck with the men in her life. She chooses poorly; something I know you can identify with! Sorry my friend but we both know that's true. Anyway, I'd truly appreciate it if you would at least try to be a friend to my beautiful Jenny. Don't hold it against her that she and I couldn't work out our difficulties. That was as much my fault as hers and it doesn't matter now anyway. She will need a friend and you are the best person I know for her to turn to. _

_Thank you Jethro._

The letter was written and signed in Jasper's own hand. Jethro read it twice before folding it and putting it back in his pocket. He closed his eyes and scrubbed one hand through his hair. It was just like Jasper to reach back from the grave and ask him to befriend a beautiful, stubborn, red head who had already decided he was the devil. Jethro had to smile at the irony of the situation; Jasper wanted him to look out for a woman who didn't want to be within ten feet of him. Maybe the summer was going to be more interesting than he had expected.

While Jethro was sitting in the park enjoying the summer afternoon and thinking about Jasper's letter, Jenny was just sitting down in her office. It had been a busy day for her and she still had some calls to make before she went home for the night. She turned the manila envelope over and slit it open. Unsolicited manila envelopes from attorneys were rarely a good thing she mused. She had already dealt with her father's trust and all the paperwork to put the stables in her name had been completed two weeks ago so she couldn't imagine what this could be. She pulled out the note from the attorney, exactly the same as the one Jethro had received. Then she looked at the smaller envelope and saw her name written on it in her father's neat hand. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before unfolding the enclosed sheet of paper.

_My Dear Jenny,_

_You reading this letter means your mother and I are finally together again. Whatever else you may feel at this time be happy about that. I know you and I have not been what we should have been to each other in recent years and I have no doubt your mother will let me know of her displeasure at that fact. You must believe that I loved you and your mother will all my heart and soul and the last few years have pained me more than I can tell you. I hope you have decided to keep the stables and make a life for yourself here. You are more than capable of taking my dream and making it your own. I have kept track of you, Jenny, through friends and I know you have done well in your profession. There is no doubt in my mind you can do wonderful things with my small operation here. You have a gift Jenny, please use it to fulfill your dreams. _

_Yes, I know about Samuel. I am happy for you to have someone to love and who will love you. I have to admit I am sad that you didn't feel you could come to me when everything was happening there. And I would have loved to have met my grandson. I called you a few times but when I didn't hear from you I decided to let you work this out in your own time. I have prayed for you and Samuel every day and I hope you are happy. You will be a terrific mother Jenny, I have no doubt about that. _

_Now, I have to give you one last piece of unsolicited advice. I am going to send a trusted friend to you, a man I have known for a long time and who I know will help you with anything you need. His name is Jethro Gibbs. He is a federal agent and someone you can trust with anything whether personal or professional. He also got a letter from me today asking him to look out for you. That may sound old fashioned to you but please indulge me this. Jethro has seen a lot of sadness in his life and he is a survivor, someone you can trust. He is one of the best men I have ever known Jenny, and I hope you will let him at least be a friend to you. And to your son. There is no one I trust more than Jethro. You can trust him too. _

_Be happy Jenny. You were a joy to your mother and I and I have loved you always. Please tell Samuel about me. Be sure to tell him I loved him from the moment I heard about him. And be sure he learns to ride as soon as possible just like you did. There is so much more I want to say but really all you need to know is that I love you, I believe in you and I know you loved me. Forgive me for not trying harder to patch things up between us. _

_All my love, Dad._

Jenny wiped the tears from her eyes and put the letter down on her desk. Her father had been following her career and he knew about her son. Jenny couldn't believe it. She had known her father called after Sam's birth but she never called back. She had let her pride rule her again and now it was too late. If only she had come home a week sooner. Jenny read the letter again. Obviously, her father had forgiven her and now she had to give herself the same gift. She realized it would do no good for her to keep beating herself up over the past. She had a son now and a future to be built for the two of them.

She smiled at the part about Gibbs. If her father truly could see her now he must be shaking his head at the way she and Gibbs had started out. Certainly not the way he would have scripted it she was sure. Maybe she should heed her father's advice this time. For all their problems, she knew he would never encourage her to trust someone who would harm her or his grandson.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Trust Me**_

The Saturday after getting his letter from Jasper, Jethro arrived at the stables bright and early. The only vehicle in the parking lot was the one he recognized as Jenny's. He smiled to himself and picked up the two cups of coffee he had secured on the passenger seat. Ever since he had read Jasper's letter, Jethro had been determined to break through Jenny's defenses and somehow be a friend to her. Today would be the beginning of what he thought of as Operation Trust Me.

Jethro opened the door to the office and called out, "Jenny, you here?"

From her office which was through the doorway behind the front counter Jenny heard the door open and then someone calling her name. She recognized the voice and glanced at the clock. 7:30 am blinked the display. Shaking her head she thought it was awfully early, especially for dealing with Special Agent Gibbs. She knew she needed to lighten up where he was concerned but she was wary of him despite her father's ringing endorsement. Nevertheless, she stepped out into the front office with a small smile on her face.

The office was divided by a high counter behind which Sue normally sat to conduct the business of the stables and answer the phones. Jenny's office was behind Sue's area, separated by a door that Jethro had never seen closed. That had been Jasper's office and Jethro had spent a lot of time in that small, tidy space sharing a drink and talking with Jenny's father. Seeing her coming from there now took his breath away. Maybe it had been the harsh emotions of the past weeks or the animosity between them but somehow he had missed how truly beautiful she was. This morning her hair was loose, curly and soft around her face. She had on little make up but what she was wearing served to highlight her striking green eyes and smooth, pale skin. Jethro forced himself to blink and swallow in an effort to get control of himself. He wanted to say "wow" but settled for "Good morning."

"Good morning Jethro. You're here early. Do you need something?"

She had never spoken to him in a friendly voice before and Jethro was again almost struck dumb. Her voice was smooth and warm and he decided right then he would have to find a way to get her to talk to him as often as possible. He finally managed to respond.

"No, I thought you might like coffee." He held a cup out to her and when she took it and smiled at him he was very glad he'd gotten up in time to be here alone with her.

"Thank you. My first cup is long gone so your timing is perfect." She sipped the coffee and raised an eyebrow at him. "Very good. How did you know I like it strong?"

"Can't reveal my sources, you understand."

"Uh-huh."

"Listen I know we got off to a bad start and I'm sorry about that. Your father was a wonderful friend and I feel like I've let him down by not helping you out these past few weeks. Or at least offering to help you out."

"I wouldn't say you haven't helped. You brought me coffee, and you sent me David."

Jethro just looked at her looking at him. "What? How do you know that?"

"I don't miss much, Jethro. I mean come on, a retired Marine shows up out of the blue looking for just exactly the job I have to fill. He's a friend of your's of course."

"Guilty."

"Well, thank you. He's been a tremendous help and he's great with the horses. You got my father's letter I assume."

"Yes, but that's not why I'm here. Not totally anyway. I do feel like I haven't done what Jasper would have wanted me to do. I'd like to change that. If you'll let me."

"I appreciate that Jethro. I got a letter too, telling me he was sending you to help me. My father obviously trusted you very much. I feel like I have a handle on things and I'm confident I can manage here. Thank you for your concern but you don't have a debt to pay anymore. I know you are the one who caught my father's killer; that should more than pay any debt you feel you owe my father, or me."

She had said more than she intended but something about the way Jethro was looking at her seemed to make her want to make him feel better. He did have the most amazing blue eyes and she could see the sadness there when he talked about Jasper. There was also a wariness about him that she recognized even though he was trying to be friendly and helpful. She recognized it because she saw it every day when she looked in the mirror.

Jethro knew she was trying, in a nice way, to get rid of him. The problem was he liked talking to her and he didn't want to leave just yet. Maybe one more question.

"What's the real reason you let me keep Nellie here?"

As soon as he asked he was sorry he did. A look crossed her face that wiped the smile and the friendly expression right away. He tried to backtrack but he knew it was too late.

"No, never mind. You don't have to answer that."

Jenny had forgotten about the picture and in fact, about Kelly. She didn't want to have this conversation because she feared it would be painful for Jethro and she didn't want to share any more strong emotions with him. On the other hand she couldn't avoid it forever so she decided to get it over with. Maybe today was the day for all the emotions to be dealt with and put away.

"It's alright. Just a minute."

Jenny turned and went back into her office. He could see her opening a box beside her desk and taking out a photo.

When she came back to the counter he was sure she had tears in her eyes and that scared him more than seeing her holding the shotgun a few weeks ago.

"Jenny, I'm. . ."

She held up her hand to silence him and handed him the photo. As his eyes settled on the picture of his only child she said, "I found this in my father's things. I know who you are, Jethro. You're Kelly's dad."

She watched for his reaction hoping she hadn't hurt him by showing him the picture. A faint smile appeared and he touched the picture gently with his fingers. His voice was quiet when he finally spoke.

"Kelly loved that horse. She called him Socks and she talked about him all the time. Your dad said she was a natural."

"I remember her. I used to see her out here with your wife when I was home from college. I remember my mom and dad were really upset when they heard what had happened. I'm sorry Jethro. She was a beautiful child."

"Yes, she was."

He handed the picture back to her but Jenny shook her head.

"You should keep it."

"Thank you. I'll let you get back to your morning. Please let me know if you need anything, Jenny."

"I'll be fine, Jethro, thank you."

Still looking at the photo of Kelly on her favorite horse, Jethro let himself out of the office. He went to the barn and quickly saddled Nellie for a ride. He suddenly needed to be alone. It wasn't just the picture of Kelly. It was the way Jenny looked at him, the way she sounded when she spoke to him, and the way he felt when she smiled at him. He recognized the difference between caring and pity and he had seen only caring in her eyes. He was aware of the pain her separation from her father had caused Jasper and he imagined it was at least as painful for her. He certainly identified with how it felt to be estranged from a parent. Jethro was being bombarded by emotions he didn't want to deal with. He was accustomed to keeping any personal emotions buried deep in his psyche where they couldn't hurt him. He wanted Jenny to trust him and let him be a friend but all of a sudden he was afraid he was getting into something he wasn't prepared for; something he would regret.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Trust Me**_

While Jethro was out riding, trying to clear his mind, Jenny was busy with a group of ten year olds who wanted to learn to ride a horse. As soon as he left her office Jenny knew it had been a mistake to show Jethro the picture of Kelly. She realized she should have just lied and said she changed her mind about him being there. She had seen the swirl of emotion on his face as he left and she hated being even partly the cause of that. Luckily her students began arriving shortly after he left so she didn't have time to focus on Jethro. She was busy teaching her young charges how to saddle a horse and get ready to ride. The morning flew by with a second class coming in right after the first one was over.

By lunchtime Jenny was ready for a break and very glad to see David arrive. She went out for a quick lunch and when she came back she saw that Jethro's truck was gone. She had to admit she was relieved at not having to see him again. Something about the way he looked at her made her a bit uneasy. The real problem though was how she felt when he smiled at her and how it made her feel when he told her he wanted to be a friend she could trust. She had vowed to refrain from any kind of relationship with a man for the next thirty or forty years but standing just across the counter from Jethro she had a feeling that would be hard to do if she spent too much time with him. Maybe it was those damned blue eyes or that half smile, but whatever it was Jenny knew it was dangerous to her and she needed to stay away from him.

Jethro didn't go out to ride on Sunday and he told himself every day of the following week to stay away from Jenny. He reminded himself he had offered to help her with anything she needed and she had pretty much told him thanks but no thanks. He told himself she was perfectly capable of managing on her own. And, he told himself, she's beautiful and smart and doesn't need to get involved with him. Finally, as he got out of his truck on Saturday morning with two cups of coffee, he stopped trying to talk himself out of seeing her again.

When he got to the office Jenny was not there. The door was unlocked but she didn't answer when he called her name. He went back outside and looked around until he spotted her in the barn where Nellie was kept. He walked in that direction and when he stepped into the cool interior of the big barn he found her talking to Nellie while she threw down fresh hay.

"Don't try to get her to tell you my secrets."

Jenny was startled and jumped just a bit. "Oh, I wasn't expecting anyone this early. You mustn't sneak up on people like that Agent Gibbs."

"I seem to recall you sneaking up on me a few weeks ago. At least I'm not toting a shotgun. I'm sorry I startled you. I have coffee."

He held a cup out to her and smiled that crooked half smile she was beginning to like too much. Jenny put aside the pitchfork she had been using and patted Nellie's neck as she took the coffee from her owner.

"Thank you. You have a very fine horse here, I guess you're aware of that."

"Yes, your father found her for me about three years ago. I have enjoyed her very much."

"Did you name her?"

Jethro laughed and said, "Kelly told me once when she was about seven that she was going to name her horse Nellie. When I asked her what horse she was talking about she said, 'the one you're going to get me when you come home from the war'. I think she got the name from me saying, 'whoa Nellie', whenever she ran off from me."

"Is it hard to talk about her?"

Jenny was looking at him with a mixture of concern and interest and caring that made him want to talk to her all day.

"Not with you. Honestly, I almost never talk about Kelly or her mother but with you I don't mind. Maybe because you sort of knew them it seems natural. Your dad and I used to talk about them and your mother sometimes; usually after a couple of glasses of bourbon."

"Did he ever get over her death?"

Jethro gazed at her thoughtfully as he considered his answer. "No, I don't think so. He got used to her being gone but I don't think he ever got over missing her. Did you?"

"I still miss her every day. I'm sure you understand. It becomes less a constant pain and more of an intermittent ache as time goes by. As you said, we get used to their absence."

"I didn't mean to upset you, Jen."

"No, you didn't. I brought all this up anyway. I didn't intend to bring such a cloud over this beautiful day. Thank you for telling me the story of Nellie's name. Now, I have a student coming soon so I better get busy in here."

"Can I help?"

Jenny looked at him for a long moment trying to decide why she didn't just say no and get on with her work. She liked being with him, talking to him and watching him move. He was very handsome and obviously wanted to be her friend. After what seemed a very long pause she finally gave up her internal struggle and answered him.

"Well, if you wouldn't mind, I haven't changed the water buckets yet. That would really help me out."

"Okay."

And that was how it all really got started; with Jethro's simple offer to help and Jenny's somewhat hesitant acceptance. Much later they would both point to that simple moment in their relationship as a turning point. But that is much later. On this Sunday morning, Jethro busied himself replenishing the water buckets while Jenny went about completing the remaining chores on her checklist. As she as about to tell him she had to get up to the office, Jethro's phone rang calling him back to work. He walked with her to the office and said his reluctant goodbye.

"Thank you Jethro, for the coffee and the help."

"You're welcome. Maybe I'll see you later this week."

Jethro smiled all the way to the crime scene. Normally very reluctant to allow himself to feel much of anything, this day he couldn't help himself. Talking to Jenny was so easy now that she wasn't determined to kill him. He felt very comfortable in her presence and it seemed maybe she was beginning to feel better about him too. In a rare moment of self acceptance Jethro had to admit he liked Jenny Sheppard a lot. He didn't know what he was going to do about it but he thought maybe he'd just work on enjoying it and see where it led him.

Jenny had a hard time concentrating the rest of that Sunday. She spent a lot of time thinking about Jethro and the easy way they seemed to be able to talk to one another. She was flattered he had talked with her about Kelly. Despite her earlier reservations and her hesitancy to get involved with any man at this stage, she couldn't help being just a little bit excited about what seemed to be a potential friendship with Jethro.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: This is a bit longer than the earlier chapters so I'm stopping for tonight. We're not quite halfway there. Thanks for your alerts and posts for the first few chapters.

_**Trust Me**_

Over the next few weeks Jethro spent as much time as he could at the stables. David just chuckled and shook his head every time he saw him now. He knew his friend had it bad and was happy for him. Jethro didn't always ride when he was there. Sometimes he helped David out with the horses but mostly if he wasn't riding he spent his time watching Jen working with her students or training one of the horses she had recently purchased. He never got tired of seeing her, especially in riding pants, boots and tee shirt. She was in great shape and he loved watching that shape move around the ring completely in control of her horse. If she minded him watching she didn't say so.

They were becoming more and more comfortable with each other and one evening Jenny invited him in for a drink. He happily accepted and soon found himself in the familiar confines of Jasper's old office. Jenny poured him two fingers of bourbon in a heavy crystal glass. Definitely nicer than drinking out of a dirty Mason jar he thought.

"Thanks, Jen. I don't know many women who drink bourbon neat. How did you acquire the taste?"

"I've been living in Kentucky for the last eight years. Pretty hard not to learn to drink bourbon there. Plus, I worked for a gentleman who, I believe probably was introduced to the taste on his pacifier. Samuel Parkes loved his bourbon and taught me to love it too."

"He owned the horse farm where you worked?"

"Yes, he gave me a chance to train horses when I first moved down. He was a wonderful friend and mentor and he knew more about horses than I ever will. When he died last year I began to realize I needed to come home. I only wish I had come sooner."

"Well, you're here now that's what matters. I've learned you can't live in the past and you certainly can't change it. You have a real gift, Jen. I've never seen anyone who is more of a natural around a horse, not even your father. I know he'd be proud of what you've accomplished."

"Thank you Jethro. Tell me, how did you come to be an NCIS agent?"

Jethro told Jenny about Mike Franks and how he got started working for him after Shannon and Kelly were killed. He told her about some of his assignments, in general terms, and the various places he'd been posted before coming back to DC. Soon it was time to go and they both seemed reluctant to part company.

"Would you like to go get something to eat, Jen?"

Before she could answer Jethro's phone rang and Jen was granted time to decide what to say. She still had not told him about Sam and the longer she waited the more awkward it was becoming. It wasn't that she was ashamed of having a child 'out of wedlock' she just hadn't had any reason to tell Jethro she had a son. But, the more time she spent with him the more she knew she needed to say something because she could feel the relationship shifting and she needed to let him know about her son before they got too involved. She had no idea how he felt about children and that was something she knew she needed to find out pretty soon. She had vowed not to bring anyone into her son's life until she was sure of their character and intentions. Well, she had no idea what Jethro's intentions were but she was certain he was a good man.

"Sorry, I have to go to work. So, will you have dinner with me sometime?" The look of hopeful anticipation on his face made her heart race.

Jen gave him small smile and said, "Maybe."

"Maybe? That's not very encouraging Jen."

"I didn't know you needed encouragement, Jethro."

They walked out of the office and Jenny locked the door behind them. Walking to the parking lot together each of them wondered what to say next. Finally Jenny took pity on him and stopping by her car she said, "I would love to have dinner with you sometime. Let's see what next week brings okay?"

"Good. So, maybe next week?"

She laughed and said, "Yes, maybe next week."

Jethro leaned down and kissed her quickly on the cheek. It was gentle and fleeting but it still sent a shiver down her spine. When he stepped back he brushed a loose strand of hair off her face and let his fingers glide down her arm.

"Thanks for the drink Jen. And the encouragement."

Without another word or a moment more for her to respond he was gone. Jen stood by her car for a few moments and tried to get her heart to stop racing. It had only been a small little kiss and the briefest of touches but that didn't matter. Jen closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She knew she was in trouble but what lovely trouble it might be.

Jethro was still grinning like the cat that caught the canary when he arrived at the crime scene twenty minutes later. All the way there he had replayed those few moments with Jen in the parking lot. Sitting with her in her office had been a treat but kissing her, even just one tiny little kiss, had been really great. He had not failed to notice the effect his touch had on her and that was more encouraging than she could have imagined. As he stepped out of his car to go to work, Jethro admitted to himself that he was willingly walking into that minefield otherwise known as a relationship with a beautiful woman. For some reason, with this woman, he was willing to risk it.

Gibbs had waited as long as he could before he called Jen on Thursday to invite her to lunch. As he sat in his car opening and closing his phone, he felt like a teenager asking a girl on his first date. Finally he gave himself a good headslap and punched in her number. Sue answered and he asked to speak to Jenny. He could hear the smile on her face when she told him to hold on. The next thing he heard was Jenny's voice.

"This is Jenny, can I help you?"

Apparently Sue hadn't bothered to tell her who was calling. "Yes, I think you can. I need someone to have lunch with and I was hoping you could help me out."

"Well, Jethro, I think I could arrange that. What do you have in mind?"

"There's a good little diner about two miles from the stables, Vic's Place. Do you know where it is?"

"Yes, shall I meet you there?"

"Is 11:30 okay for you? We could miss some of the lunch crowd that way."

"That would be perfect because I have an appointment at 1:00. I'll see you there."

"Okay, I'll see you."

Jethro closed his phone and realized his palms were sweaty. He shook his head and wondered to himself how he'd ever managed to get four women to marry him. For some reason, asking Jenny Sheppard to lunch seemed a lot more difficult than he thought it should be. He told himself it was just lunch, nothing special, just a friendly lunch with the daughter of his late friend. "_Yeah, right! Who you trying to kid?"_

Before she left her office, Jenny put on a clean shirt, freshened her makeup and brushed out her hair. She looked at herself in the mirror and chastised herself for being nervous. _"It's just lunch, Jenny. What's the big deal? It's just lunch with a friend. Sure! Then why are you nervous?"_ Jenny shook her head and headed out the door. In the outer office, Sue and David were deep in conversation when she came out of her office.

"What are you two up to?" she asked with a grin. She thought Sue and David were well suited for one another and they seemed to spend a lot of time talking lately.

"Just deciding what to do for lunch. You got any plans?" David had an evil grin on his face and Jenny looked over at Sue who was trying, and failing, to hide a grin of her own.

"I'm having lunch with Jethro." She waited for a comment from one of them but they just looked at her with those silly grins plastered on their faces. "Oh for heaven's sake you two it's only lunch."

"Of course it is ma'am. Have a good time."

Jenny shook her head at them and went out without another word. Walking to her car, she could only imagine what fun those two were having at her expense.

She pulled up to the diner as Jethro was getting out of his car. He turned toward her truck and stood waiting for her beside his car. She was struck by how handsome he was. He was definitely easy on the eyes and today he was wearing dress slacks and a sports coat that enhanced the color of his eyes. She had never seen him dressed for work and she liked what she saw. Of course jeans and a tee shirt, which she normally saw him in weren't bad either. She finally stopped looking at him and got out of the truck.

"I was afraid you weren't going to get out. You okay?"

"Yes. I. . .I was just noticing how nice you look, all dressed for work."

Jethro didn't know what to say to that so he just smiled and led her into the diner. They got a booth near the back and a waitress brought them water and menus. Jenny had eaten there a couple of times so she knew what she wanted and so did Jethro. They ordered and then neither of them seemed to know what to do next. Finally, Jenny decided to put them both out of their collective misery.

"Why are we both so nervous, do you think?"

Jethro laughed. It was the first time Jenny had heard him laugh and she liked it. He seemed to relax right before her eyes. He leaned back into the booth and looked at her, mischief dancing in his eyes.

"I don't know but it helps to know I'm not the only one. For me, it's probably because I haven't asked a beautiful woman out for a meal in a very long time. And, because I want you to be comfortable and trust me."

"I do trust you Jethro. I don't feel beautiful these days but thank you for the compliment."

"Why are you nervous?"

"Because I find myself liking you and I'm not sure that's a good idea. I have a terrible track record when it comes to men."

"Then we're perfect for each other because I have three ex-wives. So, how about we just relax and enjoy lunch. We don't have to get engaged or anything."

Jenny laughed and just as she had liked hearing him laugh, Jethro was blown away by his internal reaction to hearing her. He had a feeling she hadn't done much laughing since she got back to DC so he was glad he could provoke that joyful noise. Their food was served and they enjoyed each other's company for the half hour. They each found it easy to talk to the other and the conversation ebbed and flowed as they ate their lunch. Jethro, as was his nature, mostly listened while encouraging Jenny to do most of the talking. He was naturally reticent and since he loved listening to the sound of her voice he was more than happy to let Jenny lead the conversation. When it was time to go, Jethro paid the check and with his hand gently resting on the small of her back he escorted her to her truck.

"Thank you for lunch Jethro. I had a nice time."

"You're very welcome. Maybe we could do dinner sometime?"

"Maybe," she replied with a sly smile.

They were standing beside her truck and their parting was threatening to become as awkward as their beginning. Jenny decided again to rescue them both. She stepped into Jethro's personal space and hugged him. Then she stretched up on her tiptoes and kissed him ever so softly on the mouth. It was fleeting and barely there really but he still felt a jolt go through his system when their lips met. It wasn't nearly enough but it was all he was getting today.

"I have to go. I'll see you Jethro. Be careful out there."

"Jen. . .I" But she was already in the truck and waving goodbye to him. He stood there watching her smiling back at him as she backed out and drove away. He reached up and touched his lips with his fingers and smiled. This was going to be fun he thought.

Jenny smiled all the way back to the stables. She had not intended to kiss him but it was something she couldn't resist and she was glad she'd done it. She had taken note of his reaction to her touch and it made her feel good to know she could elicit such a powerful response with just a tiny little kiss. Her mind veered off to wonder about what she could do to him if she really put her mind to it. Then she stopped and reminded herself she was not going to get involved with a man for the next couple of decades. Damn, she thought, it would have been fun. But no, her focus had to be her son and her business. She could not afford the time or the energy a relationship would take. Too bad because she really liked Jethro and she could tell he liked her. Sometimes her timing really sucked!


	11. Chapter 11

**Trust Me**

Jethro called the next day but Jenny was out with clients. He tried again later but she wasn't there. He spent the next two days and nights working a case and tried again on Friday but Sue said Jenny wasn't available. He finally got her late Friday afternoon but she declined his invitation for dinner. On Saturday when Jethro went out to ride she wasn't there and David said he didn't know why. Since he didn't have her home or cell number and Sue wasn't there he couldn't find her. He was beginning to get a gut feeling Jenny was avoiding him. He couldn't figure out why but that wasn't anything new. He could never figure out the women he was involved with no matter how much practice he had.

On Sunday he spent the day at the office and every time he called he got the answering machine. He left messages but Jenny never called back. The stables were closed on Mondays so he called again Tuesday morning. Jethro was on the verge of giving up when Jenny finally answered his third call of the day.

"I was beginning to think you were gone or avoiding me."

"I'm sorry, Jethro but I've been really busy. What can I do for you?"

"Do for me? What's going on Jen? I've been calling for days, is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. As I said, I've been swamped. It's time consuming running a business even with the good help I have. I have a student in about ten minutes, Jethro so I need to go."

"Can I see you at least? What about dinner tonight?"

"I'm sorry Jethro, no. Listen, I'm just not in a place where I want to start seeing anyone. I enjoyed lunch but I think we better leave it at that. I really have to go."

"Jen, wait. . ." The line went dead and Jethro stared at his phone wondering what in the hell had happened.

Jethro brooded and worried all day Tuesday but they were working a case and he had no time to go see Jenny. He couldn't figure out what was going on and the only way he was going to know would be to look Jenny in the eye and talk to her. They wrapped their case on Friday afternoon and he sent his team home early that evening more for his sake than theirs but they were grateful nonetheless. He drove out to the stables hoping to catch Jenny before she went home. Maybe they could have drink and talk about things.

When he pulled into the parking lot Jen's vehicle was the only one there. He saw her taking the jack out of its storage area. The spare was in the back under the deck area and by the time he parked, Jen was working to extricate it from its hole. He parked next to her and got out.

"Hey, let me help you with that."

"It's okay, I can do it."

"I'm sure you can but since I'm here how about letting me do it."

"Jethro, I'm perfectly capable of changing a tire."

"Dammit, Jen I know that. But do you expect me to stand here and watch you do it?"

"You don't have to stay and watch. You are free to go you know."

That did it. Jethro put his hands easily but firmly on her waist and pulled her away from the back of the SUV. He figured she wouldn't like it but he wasn't crazy about how she was treating him so he didn't really care. Sure enough, her eyes were blazing at him when she wrenched herself out of his grasp and turned to face him.

"What in the hell are you doing?"

"I'm trying to help you change your flat tire. What is so wrong with that?"

He was speaking as calmly as he could and that seemed to squelch some of Jen's anger.

"I told you I don't need any help. I've changed plenty of flat tires in my lifetime."

"Jen, do you really expect me to drive off and leave you here alone with a flat tire? What in the world makes you think I would do that?"

"Oh alright, change the damn thing!"

The two of them stood toe to toe in the parking lot glaring at one another. Jen had crossed her arms tightly across her chest and her face was red with frustration. Jethro looked at her and thought she was even more beautiful than the last time he saw her. He knew better than to tell her that though; now was not the time. He couldn't resist touching her though so he reached out and pushed some loose hair behind her ear. She flinched just a tiny bit but didn't move out of his reach.

"Jen, tell me what's wrong. This isn't just about a flat tire."

"I'm just tired and I need to get home. I'm sorry I'm being such a bitch. I know you're just trying to help."

Jethro wanted to press his inquiry but decided to get the tire changed first. He set the jack and began removing the flat.

"Can you tell me why you don't want to see me anymore?"

"I just don't have the time or the energy for a relationship, Jethro. Can we just be friends and leave it at that?"

"We can. Do you ever have lunch or dinner with friends?"

He looked up at her and saw a small smile threatening to break out. He took off the flat and stood up to retrieve the spare.

"Well, do you?"

"Yes, I sometimes have lunch or dinner with a friend."

"Good, then you can continue to have the occasional meal with me. Since we're friends."

He finished tightening the lug nuts and lowered the jack. He put the tools back in their designated place and put the flat in the bed of his truck.

"Where are you going with my tire?"

"I'm taking it to get it fixed and then I'll bring it back tomorrow and put it back on for you. Then I'll let you buy me lunch. How's that?"

Finally she graced him with a real smile and everything was right in his world again.

"That will be fine. I have a full day tomorrow so we'll have to eat here. I'll bring something. Can you be here at noon?"

"I'll be here in the morning and stay for lunch."

"Thank you Jethro. You are a good friend. Goodnight."

"Night Jen."

Jethro watched her drive away and relaxed for the first time in days. Then he took the flat to a local garage and waited while they removed a nail and patched the tire. With that taken care of he stopped for a burger and went home to work on the boat. Tomorrow would be a good day.

Saturday was a good day. Jethro was at the stables early in the morning and took Nellie out for several hours. Of course, he was back in plenty of time to have lunch with Jen. They ate in her office and had a very nice time. Jethro had decided he needed to give her some space and time so that was what he was doing. The conversation was easy and the hour was over before they knew it. Jenny went back to work and Jethro went home. He wanted to stay and watch her teach but the whole space and time thing meant he needed to leave. He took her keys and changed her tire again before he left. When he took the keys back to the office David was there waiting on him.

"What happened with your lunch a while back, Gunny? I thought you two were going to be seeing more of each other not less."

"Just needed to slow down a bit. Jenny's little overwhelmed with everything and I think we got a little ahead of ourselves. I'm going to give her some space and see what happens."

"Good luck with that. I don't remember you as being particularly patient my friend."

"I'm not but I think maybe Jen will be worth the wait."

"No doubt about that. See you later."


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: At a reader's (who shall remain anonymous in case someone wants to do her bodily harm!) suggestion I will only post two chapters a day. All the better to string you along! This is a long one so that's all for tonight. Thanks for reviewing and alerting.

**Trust Me**

Jethro reluctantly headed for home to do some much needed yard work. On Wednesday he enlisted Sue's help to find out Jenny's schedule and showed up at 12:30 with lunch. She was surprised of course but seemed happy to see him. It was all he could do to leave without at least a little kiss but he knew he had to respect Jen's wishes and at least pretend they were "just friends". He didn't call during the week even though he missed hearing her voice. Saturday couldn't come around soon enough to satisfy him and when it finally did he headed for the stables early in the morning with two cups of Jamacian blend and a sack of pastries.

When he pulled into the parking lot he was pleased to see Jen's SUV was the only vehicle there. They would have at least a little bit of time alone; as friends. Smiling, he carried the coffees and the sack of treats to the office. The door was unlocked and he went in and found Jenny at Sue's desk looking through the schedule book. She looked frazzled, beautiful but definitely frazzled.

"Good morning. I have coffee and treats."

Jenny looked up distractedly and didn't respond.

"Jen, you okay?"

"This has not been a good morning", was all she said before resuming her study of the schedule.

"Anything I can help with?"

Before Jen could answer Jethro heard the unmistakable sound of a baby crying. He looked around and didn't see anyone. The baby hollered again and Jethro realized the commotion was coming from Jen's office.

"Jen, there's a baby crying in your office." Even as he said it he realized it sounded stupid but he didn't know what else to say.

"My god you really are a trained investigator. Yes, there is a baby in my office. His name is Sam and he's my son."

By now Jenny was standing up looking at Jethro waiting for his reaction. He just looked back at her and didn't say anything so she plunged ahead.

"My housekeeper had an emergency this morning and couldn't come to work. I have classes all morning and now I have an unhappy eight month old in my office. Could you give me that coffee please?"

The noise from the office had increased a few decibles while Jenny was explaining the situation. It didn't seem to phase her but Jethro found it just a bit unsettling.

"What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing's wrong with him. He's not hungry or wet or dirty. He's just mad because I can't hold him and take care of business at the same time. He wants me to hold him and I need to make some calls to cancel my classes."

Jethro looked at her and handed her the sack with the pastries in it.

"Here, have something to eat." He gestured toward the office door and asked, "May I?"

"Be my guest. He usually doesn't take to strangers but you're welcome to try."

Jethro went into the office and found a very unhappy little boy standing up in a pak-n-play crying. He had curly red hair and dark blue eyes. He must have inherited his father's skin color because he didn't have his mother's fair complexion. But he was quite obviously Jenny's child. Jethro squatted down to get a closer look at the little boy who immediately stopped crying and put his arms up over his head signally his desire to be rescued from the confines of his bed. Jethro reached out and easily lifted the baby up and held him to his chest.

"Hey, Sam what's the matter? You want your mom?" Jethro spoke softly to the little boy who watched him with wide, teary eyes. Jethro picked up a soft cloth from the playpen and wiped Sam's eyes. The little boy smiled at him and happily waved his arms around.

Jenny stood in the doorway out of sight and watched her son with Jethro. They made a good looking pair and in that instant Jenny somehow knew she was looking at the man she would risk her heart for. Sam had never let a stranger pick him up before much less cuddle him and hold him. Her son was completely happy with Jethro holding him and Jethro seemed a natural with Sam. She went in the office and stood next to Jethro, one hand on his back and the other ruffling Sam's hair.

"Hey, little man. This is Jethro. Jethro, this is Samuel Jasper Sheppard."

"He's wonderful Jen, what a handsome little boy."

"He is pretty cute isn't he?"

"He sure is. Why don't I look after him while you do your classes? There's no reason to cancel. Sam and I can hang out and then I'll take you both out to eat."

"Are you sure? It will be until almost 3:00."

"I'm sure. You have food and bottles here right? We'll go check on Nellie and I'll take care of him. Really, I want to do it."

All the while they were talking, Sam looked from Jethro to his mom and back again. He was patting Jethro's face and bouncing in his arms. Finally he reached for his mom and Jethro turned him over to her.

"Thank you Jethro."

While Jenny taught her classes, Jethro took Sam to meet Nellie. He held the child's hand and helped him pet Nellie on the nose. Then he took him into the stall and let him pat her neck. Sam seemed enthralled by such a large animal and babbled in happy excitement. Jethro took him outside and let him crawl around in some clean straw making sure he didn't eat any of it. After while he took him back to the office, changed his diaper and gave him a bottle and a jar of peaches. Before long, Sam was sound asleep so Jethro laid him down and covered him with a light blanket before stepping out onto the porch to enjoy the day. This gave him some time to think about the fact that Jen had a child. He wasn't sure how that impacted what he thought he wanted from her but he knew it was going to make some kind of difference. He also wondered why she hadn't told him about Sam before now. When he'd been thinking about all that for about fifteen minutes Jenny came onto the porch for a break between classes.

"He sleeping?"

"Yeah. I gave him some fruit and a bottle and he was out like a light as soon as the bottle was empty. He's been asleep for about twenty minutes."

"He usually sleeps for an hour or so this time of morning. You sure you want to hang around?"

"I'm sure. Besides, you can't manage all those kids and horses and Sam at the same time. I mean, I know you're good but . . ."

"Okay, you're right. Thank you. You seem to have the touch; Sam doesn't go to just anyone."

"He's a good baby. Seems to have a good disposition. Where did that come from?"

Jethro didn't have time to avoid the punch to the arm that remark elicited. "Very funny. I happen to have a wonderful disposition; most of the time."

"Yes, you do. And a pretty good right cross too."

Jethro had a dozen questions about Sam, his father, and all that surrounded them but he felt it wasn't his place to ask. And, it didn't really matter except as it pertained to Jen's security and Sam's future. Again, not his concern. Not yet anyway and maybe not ever.

Sitting on the porch with Jethro, Jenny wondered why he hadn't asked any of the questions she was sure he had about Sam. She had already decided to explain it all to him later while they were eating. Jenny had not dated or been the least bit interested in a man since Sam had been born. She had no interest in dating because she had no intention of introducing random men into her son's life. Jethro however was not just a random man. He was after all, Sam's grandfather's trusted friend and he was rapidly becoming one of hers as well. Yes, this was definitely a man Jenny didn't mind Sam knowing.

When Jenny went back to her students Jethro went into the office and found a baseball game on television. He was watching the Orioles beating the Braves when Sam woke up and made his presence known. Jethro stepped into Jen's office and lifted Sam out of his bed.

"Boy you are soaked little man. Let's get you changed into some dry pants."

Sam just smiled and patted Jethro on the face while he was carried to the counter to get his diaper changed. Once the child was cleaned up and dressed Jethro carried him outside and walked over to the corral where Jenny was finishing up her second class. It was almost 11:00 and the class would be over at 11:15. Jethro kept up a steady stream of one-sided conversation with Sam who seemed very content in the arms of his new friend. When the class was finished the children scattered to the parking lot with their parents and Jen walked over to the fence where Jethro was standing with Sam.

"Looks like at least some of them are getting it. Maybe not the one in the green shirt though."

"No, she's still not sure she likes the idea of a horse but she's a lot better than two weeks ago. At least now she'll stand next to them."

"Would you like to give Sam a ride?"

"I would if you will lead us. I don't have his carrier here."

"Sure that's what I was thinking of."

Jethro handed Sam to his mom then climbed through the fence into the corral. He took Sam back while Jenny got settled in the saddle then he handed him up to her. Jenny put Sam in front of her making sure he was secure. When they were ready Jethro took the reins and led the horse around the corral. He looked back to see Sam smiling and laughing, waving his arms happily.

"I think he likes it."

Jenny leaned down and kissed her son on the head. She had not had him on a horse until now and she was very glad to share this first time with Jethro.

"I wish I had my camera here. I almost always do but I left it at home this morning."

Jethro pulled out his phone and held it up. "I have my phone. Here, hold the reins and I'll get some shots of the two of you." He handed the reins up to Jenny and snapped several pictures of mother and son on Sam's first horseback ride. "I'll have my lab tech print some for you."

"Thank you Jethro."

"You two look good together. He favors you that's for sure."

"He got his father's coloring and eyes but the rest is pretty much all Sheppard. He looks a lot like my dad when he was a baby."

Jethro had retaken the reins and was walking beside the horse leading it over to the barn area while Jen kept a firm grip on her very excited son. When they got to the barn where the horse's stall was he took Sam while Jenny dismounted.

"Why don't I put this beauty up while you spend some time with your little guy. Show me which horses you want for the afternoon class and I'll get them saddled for you."

"No, David will be here in a little while and he'll get them ready."

"He called and said he would be late; his hot water tank died and flooded his utility room this morning. He has to wait for the plumber but he said he'd be here for sure by 2:30."

"For heaven's sake what a day. Well if you don't mind, thank you. Again. Come on Sam let's go get you some lunch."

Jethro got the horses ready for the afternoon class and Jenny fed Sam and then had a quick sandwich before her students arrived. She had a little time to play with Sam and then she turned him back over to Jethro. Sam played on the floor of the office for a while then wanted to be held so Jethro picked him up and settled him on his lap to look at a book. That lasted about ten minutes then Sam got fussy so Jethro stood up and walked around with him over his shoulder until he fell asleep. Luckily, Jenny had not taken Jasper's old couch out of the office so Jethro put a pillow against the arm rest and stretched out with Sam on his chest.

That is exactly how Jenny found them thirty minutes later. As she stood in the doorway of the office and watched them sleeping she felt a tightness in her chest and stomach. She had known from the moment she found out she was pregnant that she would most likely be raising her child by herself. The man who was Sam's biological father was not up to the job of being a parent and Jenny was all too happy to let him relinquish his parental rights to her son. She wanted Sam to have a father, of course, but she knew her standards were so high she was probably not going to find a man who would meet them. That belief had been blown to bits in the last several hours. Looking at Jethro, so willing and so competent where Sam was concerned she knew she had stumbled across a man she could not only care for but who she could trust with her son. But would he want that? And wasn't this happening much too fast? Jen mentally shook herself and reminded her crazy self that just a week ago she had sworn off men in general and Jethro in particular. She knew she had to rein in her emotions and get back on the track she had planned for; raising Sam by herself.

"You coming in or just looking?" Jethro spoke quietly without opening his eyes.

"Just enjoying the picture you two make. I didn't mean to wake you. I'll finish up some paperwork and we can go whenever you're ready."

"Take your time. As you can see, I'm quite comfortable here."

Jethro had actually done more thinking than sleeping while lying on the couch enjoying the warmth and sweet smell of a baby on his chest. Of course he thought about all the times he had fallen asleep with Kelly when she was a baby. Then he thought about what it meant to him that Jen had a son. It definitely complicated his thinking in terms of their relationship. If he was honest with himself he had to admit that he had been thinking of Jen as a beautiful woman he wanted to know better and hopefully sleep with eventually. He had not considered a long term, serious relationship with her because he didn't consider that with anyone. Jethro believed he was past the falling in love and marrying stage and he was content with that. When he looked at Jen he imagined them having some fun, being intimate for a time and then, he was sure, she would find a more suitable man to fall in love with. He did not see himself as that man. He did not want to be that man. Or so he told himself.

It was all a big mess in his mind now and he really wanted to go home to his boat and not think about it. He hated the idea of giving up his friendship and his burgeoning desire for Jen but he also didn't like the idea of getting into a relationship with her that would, by necessity, include this wonderful little person currently sound asleep on his chest. The way Jethro viewed Jen had changed fundamentally in the last few hours and now he had to figure out how he was going to deal with that. Of course he still found her incredibly attractive and desirable but Sam was the wild card he hadn't been anticipating. A casual, non-committal relationship didn't seem like the way to go now and Jethro wasn't prepared for anything more.

Jen had been doing some thinking of her own and she too, realized things were going to be different now. She found herself very attracted to Jethro, more so now that she had seen him with Sam. Despite her strong resolve not to become interested in a man she had to admit she was very much interested in this particular man. When she put together her own feelings, her father's endorsement of him and her son's acceptance she found little to dissuade her from her attraction. What she didn't know was how Jethro felt about her having a child. Telling herself there was no time like the present she put away her paperwork and stood up to go back to her office.

When she walked through the door, Jethro was sitting on the couch with Sam standing in front of him holding onto his fingers.

"He seems to want to walk in the worst way."

"Yes, he's going all around the furniture at home. I'm sure it won't be long now. Noemi, my housekeeper, will probably see him walk before I do."

"Kelly took her first steps while I was in a jungle somewhere."

Jethro stood up and turned Sam around so he was facing his mom. Then, with Sam holding his fingers he helped him walk to her. Jen squatted down and when Sam was within reach she took his hands and he stumbled into her arms.

"Good job, Sam." Jen scooped the little boy into her arms and smothered him with kisses.

Jen looked up at Jethro and noted a glimmer of sadness in his eyes. He was watching them with a small smile on his face but she had a feeling it wasn't necessarily a happy smile.

"Do you still want to go eat or would you like to have a rain check?"

"Maybe we should do it another time. You've had a busy day and I'm sure you'd like some time at home with Sam."

Jen couldn't tell from his voice what was really going on but it didn't really matter. He was busy putting Sam's toys in his bag and Jen could tell he had made up his mind. She grabbed a clean diaper and laid Sam down on the couch to change him.

"Is there anything you want to ask me Jethro?" She asked without turning around and she couldn't see him to gauge his reaction.

"Did your father know about Sam?"

"Yes, he told me in his letter that he did. I very much regret not bringing Sam to meet him. It's something I'll have to live with. I'm a little surprised he didn't tell you."

"Jasper was very private about most things. Do Sue and David know?"

Jen picked Sam up and turned around to face Jethro. She was just a little bit exasperated by his tone of voice and his beating around the bush with his questions.

"Of course they know. I work with them every day. Why don't you just go ahead and ask what you really want to know?"

"What do you think that is?"

Jen picked up the diaper bag and reached for the bag of toys. Jethro grabbed it instead and Jen started out the door.

"Oh for god's sake Jethro, you want to know why I didn't tell you I have a child. Right?"

"Well?"

Jen walked through the front office and out onto the porch with Jethro following. She was standing beside her car before she looked at him again. Before she answered she put Sam in his car seat and buckled him in securely. She closed the car door and turned to find Jethro standing by the driver's door waiting for her.

"When I first met you it didn't matter because I had no intention of knowing you. In fact I wanted to kill you. Once we started talking and spending some time together I should have said something and I don't really know why I didn't."

"Well at least you don't seem to want to kill me anymore."

"No, I don't. Do you have any other questions you need to ask? I'm happy to tell you whatever you want to know."

"I'm not sure it's any of my business, Jen."

"What if I want it to be your business?"

Jethro looked at her for a long moment before he answered. He reached up and pushed some loose hair off her face and tucked it behind her ear.

"Then I'd say you should rethink that."

"Why?"

"Because I'm probably not what you want in the long run."

"What makes you think I'm not able to judge that for myself?"

"I know myself much better than you know me. And, I'm not really looking for a long term thing."

"Oh. Well, okay then, I guess that says it all. Thanks for your help today. I'll see you, Jethro."

Jen quickly got into the car before Jethro could see the tears that were rapidly filling her eyes and threatening to spill down her cheeks. She didn't look at him as she drove off but she knew Jethro was still standing there looking after her as she left the parking lot.

Jethro shook his head and scrubbed his hand over his face and walked to his truck. _Nicely done, jerk. I guess you told her and that pretty much puts an end to that. Great._ Jethro wanted to kick himself but instead he settled for kicking the front tire of his truck before he got in and drove home.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: **I know I said I'd post 2 chapters a day but the next one needs to be by itself so you'll have to wait until tomorrow night. Sorry. Thanks to my reviewers, I appreciate each one!

**Trust Me**

The next few weeks went by slowly for both Jen and Jethro. Jenny concentrated on her riding lessons and doing some updating to the buildings and grounds. Business was good with all the boarding stalls full and students on a waiting list for both individual and group riding lessons. Jenny was busy planning some group events for the fall and looking forward to possibly building an additional barn for more boarding space. Sam was a delight and made going home something to look forward to each night. He seemed to be growing right before her eyes and she tried to cherish each moment she had with him. The only negative in Jenny's world was the virtual absence of Jethro. He came to the stables to ride occasionally but not as often as he had before he learned about Sam. They were still friendly when they saw each other but he didn't hang around to watch her teach and he certainly didn't stick around for drinks after closing time. And, he didn't bring her coffee on Saturday morning anymore.

As for Jethro, the weeks were filled with work and the boat much like they had been before Jenny Sheppard came into his life. He spent an entire week chasing a killer all over Virginia and Maryland then the next week looking for a missing Marine. Work was the only thing that kept him from losing his mind because he missed Jen terribly. In the weeks after he met Sam, Jethro spent his free time in his basement brooding over the fact that he had chosen to give up a promising liaison with a beautiful redhead. He questioned himself all the time about his decision to stop seeing Jen simply because she was a mother. He still thought it was the right thing to do but that didn't make it any easier to swallow.

Summer would officially be over the next weekend when Labor Day arrived. Jethro's team was not on call and he had been promised nothing would interfere with that save the beginning of WWIII. He decided to take Nellie and go camping for a couple of days to unwind and maybe get Jenny off his mind for good. He had no idea how he would accomplish that but he was in need of some solitude that did not include a boat in a musty basement. He was at the stables early on Saturday morning and found David working in the barn.

"Good morning my friend. You've been kinda scarce around here lately."

"Work has been crazy. Too many bad guys out there."

Jethro dropped his gear outside Nellie's stall and led her outside to get her saddled. He wondered where Jen was but didn't want to ask. David came out and stood next to the fence where Jethro had tied Nellie.

"I thought maybe it had something to do with Jenny."

"Why would it?"

"Because you haven't been around to see her much. You were spending a lot of time out here until that Saturday you met Sam."

"She told you about that?"

"I was here when you left remember? I saw you two leaving. It's none of my business but you should know she's been pretty mopey around here since then."

"I didn't really need to know that."

"You do if you're the cause of it."

"What makes you think I'm the cause of how Jen feels?"

"Come on Gunny, it's me, your old bunkmate. I saw the two of you together. I'm not blind or stupid. You're taken with her; or at least you were. What happened? Sam scare you off?"

Jethro shook his head and gave his friend a tired smile. "No, he didn't scare me off. He's great. Very cute kid, very sweet baby. You know me, David. I'm not someone Jenny needs to get attached to. More importantly, Sam shouldn't get attached to me. I have a very bad track record with relationships and I don't want Sam or Jenny for that matter to be hurt when things go south as they inevitably do for me."

David watched Jethro tie on his bedroll and saddle bags. He had known Jethro for a long time and they had been through some nasty stuff together in the Corps. He knew about Shannon and Kelly and the three ex-wives. In his mind, Jethro was just exactly what Jenny and Sam needed but he understood why his friend was reluctant to pursue that. He was a good man and he probably honestly believed he would screw up the relationship and hurt them. David knew Jethro would do anything to avoid that.

"Listen my friend, I know all your ex-wives and believe me Jenny Sheppard is not at all like any of them. She's smart and independent and she can handle you with one hand tied behind her back. And, she's crazy about you Jethro. I don't understand it but there it is."

"What the hell do you know about it?"

"Hey, she talks to Sue and Sue talks to me. In fact, Sue talks to me quite a bit but that's another story for another time. I'm just giving you something to think about while you're out there sleeping on the cold ground tonight. Don't write this off, Jethro. You'd be making a big mistake if you do."

"Don't you have something to do besides give me dating advice?" Jethro tried his glare on David but it was a half-hearted attempt and failed miserably. Besides, David wasn't the least bit afraid of Jethro.

"Sure do. You and Nellie have fun and you think about what I said."

"Yeah, I'll do that. I don't plan to be back until Monday morning so don't look for me until then."

"Okay, be safe my friend."

Jethro watched David walk back into the barn then he untied Nellie and swung up into the saddle. As he rode past the corral headed for the trail he liked he saw Jen's vehicle pull into the parking lot. He hesitated for a moment then kept going into the woods.

Jethro loved being outdoors and he especially enjoyed exploring the little bit of wilderness this area provided in the midst of so many people. He loved his job of course, but sometimes all the traffic, vehicular and human, that went with the DC area got on his nerves. Being away from all that even for a couple of days was worth the mild discomfort of sleeping on the ground. It wasn't like he hadn't slept in much worse places in his career. At least there wasn't sand blowing into everything and the stench of oil fires clogging the air as there had been in Kuwait. It had taken years for him to get that smell out of his memory banks. That was a world away today. Today he was enjoying warm weather and clear skies and blessed silence.

All day Saturday Jethro wandered in the forest not paying much attention to where he was going. He had no concern about getting lost because he had been over every mile of this area many times in the last few years. This day he was looking for a new campsite as far into the woods as he could go. Finally, in the late afternoon he found the perfect spot; sheltered but with enough open ground to safely have a fire. He tethered Nellie to a tree where she could nibble on some grass. Then he gathered some stones to contain a fire pit. Next he found some kindling and cut up a dead log for the fire.

Sunday was clear and warm and Jethro spent the morning relaxing and hiking near his campsite. After a day in the saddle it felt good to stretch his legs. He tried not to think about anything but his immediate surroundings and enjoying the day but thoughts of Jen kept creeping in to distract him. He could close his eyes and see her very clearly; her lovely red hair, beautiful green eyes framed by thick lashes and her great figure in riding pants and a tee shirt. She was a beautiful package and Jethro couldn't help but think about how she'd look unwrapped. The brief touches they'd shared had given him just enough contact to know he would enjoy getting very close to her. But. . .what about Sam? What about his propensity to screw up every single relationship he'd had since Shannon died? As happy as he was to be rid of each of his wives when the time came, he still regretted the hurt he had caused them. He didn't want to do that to Jen and Sam.

About 2:00 Jethro cleaned up the campsite, saddled Nellie and rode off in search of another place to spend the night.

He decided to keep moving away from the direction of the stables and about two hours later he found the spot he was looking for. He set up camp and spent the evening and night in blessed solitude. Lying on his back looking at the stars Jethro decided two things. First he was going to call his father when he got home. He wanted to put their differences behind them and get back to where he knew they needed to be. This was something he had promised himself he would do right after Jasper was killed and he decided he had put it off long enough.

Second he was going to talk to Jen. He had given up trying to convince himself he didn't want to see her again. He had given lots of thought to what David had said and he agreed Jen was nothing at all like his ex's. He told himself they could go slowly and if things didn't work out Sam wouldn't have to get hurt. If he and Jen started out being honest with each other then maybe when she realized he wasn't the right one for her she wouldn't be so hurt. Of course that scenario didn't seem too good for him but Jethro was prepared for that ending. It was the only one he'd ever had.

Monday morning Jethro woke up with the sun and realized he was hungry and much in need of a hot shower. Eating granola bars and packaged meals was just barely okay when he was a young Marine but now that he was not young anymore two days of that was enough. After some barely warm coffee he doused the fire and got ready to head home. He made sure all the coals were out, threw some dirt on the fire and was soon headed to the stables. He spent a few minutes at the edge of the forest getting his bearings then pointed Nellie in the right direction. He figured he would be back in time for lunch and was hoping to find Jen in the office. He didn't take into account that he hadn't bathed or shaved in three days; he was just focused on getting back and finding out if she was still interested.

Jen wasn't in the office when he got back. David said she had called saying Sam wasn't feeling well and she needed to stay home with him because her housekeeper was out of town for the week. There were no classes because of the holiday so David was able to handle the feeding of the horses and helping any owners who came out to ride. Jethro was disappointed but when he got a look at himself in the bathroom mirror he realized maybe it was a good thing Jen wasn't there. He gave Nellie a good brushing and some extra feed then took time to talk to David before heading home.

"Do you know what's wrong with Sam?"

"Jenny said he was just congested and fussy. I guess her housekeeper is gone to a family wedding in North Carolina so Jenny was planning to bring Sam with her but decided to stay home. I'm sure he's okay."

"I guess she probably took him to a doctor."

"I'm sure she knows what to do Jethro. Give any thought to what I told you?"

"Yeah, I did. Maybe you're right. Jen's sure nothing like my ex's. You think she'd be interested in going to dinner sometime?"

"Very much so. You know, Jethro, you don't have to marry her; you could just take her out every now and then. You know, date her for a while. See how it goes. Do I really need to go over all this with you?"

"No, you don't. I think I can handle it from here but it's good to know I can come to you if I have questions. Now, what did you want to tell me about you and Sue?"

"Don't recall saying I wanted to tell you anything, my friend. But I will tell you that I'm taking her out to dinner tonight. She's a very impressive lady and I like her."

"Good for you. And good for her too. Well, I've been in these clothes long enough so I'm heading home."

"See ya, Gunny."

Jethro stopped at Five Guys on the way home for a burger and fries. The fries were almost gone by the time he pulled into his driveway. After devouring the hamburger and washing it all down with a beer, Jethro took a long, hot shower. Then he grabbed another beer and the phone and went to sit on the back deck and call his father. He knew the number by heart of course, it had been the family's phone number since they first got a phone. As he punched in the number he found himself just a little bit nervous. When he heard his father's deep voice for the first time in so many years he found it hard to speak. His father had said 'hello' for the second time before Jethro finally found his voice.

"Hello, dad."

"Leroy? Son, are you alright?"

"Yeah, dad I'm okay. How are you?"

"I'm just fine. I'm just so surprised to hear your voice. It's been such a long time."

"I know and I'm sorry about that."

"Me too."

They talked for almost an hour and when he said goodbye Jethro found he didn't want to hang up. He put the phone down and rubbed his hands over his face, wiping away the tears that had managed to escape. He had promised to go home and see his dad first chance he got; and to call again next weekend. As he made his way to the basement to work on his boat Jethro felt better, lighter and calmer than he had in many years.


	14. Chapter 14

**Trust Me**

Tuesday morning was chilly with the first faint hints of fall in the air. Jethro's team didn't have a case at the moment so they were annoying each other and pretending to do paperwork. Finally at about 10:00 he couldn't stand it any longer and announced he was going for coffee. While he was out of the office he called the stables hoping to talk to Jen.

"Sorry, Gibbs, she's still out with Sam."

"Is he still sick?"

"She says he just has a cold and he's congested but she didn't want to bring him to the office. I guess he's pretty fussy because he's not sleeping much."

"Okay, well I'll try her tomorrow."

Jethro was beginning to worry but since he hadn't exactly been around lately he didn't feel like he could interfere. Jen was a perfectly competent mother so there wasn't any reason for him to stick his nose into what she was doing. Walking back to the office he wondered if there was anything he could do to help. That would have wait though because as soon as he stepped off the elevator he was met by his team; they had a case. The rest of the day Jethro barely had time to look up much less worry about Jen and a sick little boy. By the time he went home it was past midnight and he was exhausted. They hadn't caught their bad guy yet but Jethro was confident they would have him in custody by close of business on Wednesday.

After a quick shower, a sandwich and a shot of bourbon, Jethro fell into bed and was sound asleep by the time his head settled on the pillow. When his phone started ringing at 2:15 all he could think of was making the damned noise stop.

"Yeah, Gibbs. What is it?" He was only awake enough to answer, he didn't bother to see who was calling.

"Jethro."

At the sound of her voice he was instantly awake and alert and out of bed.

"Jen, what's wrong? Is it Sam?"

Jenny was crying and he couldn't make out what she was trying to say. He reached for his jeans and pulled them on while he tried to get her to calm down.

"Jen, take a breath. I can't understand you."

Finally, she got control of herself and managed to talk.

"Jethro, I need your help. Sam won't stop crying and he can't sleep. I can't seem to comfort him. I need you.""Jen, I'm on my way. Stay on the phone with me. Where is Sam?"

"He's in his bed. He's so fussy and so exhausted and I don't know what to do."

"Is he okay in the bed for now?"

"Yes, he's okay.

Jethro was dressed and on his way out the door. "Jen, take the phone and go out on the back porch. Take some deep breaths. I'll be there in twenty minutes. Talk to me Jen."

He heard her door open and close as he got in his car and started toward Jen's house. "Jen, talk to me."

Jenny stepped outside and took several deep breaths. She had the phone to her ear and Jethro's strong, insistent voice was calming her down. She realized she hadn't been outside in days. "I'm okay. I guess I'm just exhausted and I freaked out a little bit. I'm alright now."

"Good. I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

"Oh god, Jethro it's 2:30 in the morning. You don't have to come over here. I'm sorry I got you up."

"Don't worry about it. I'm coming anyway. Now, go in and check on Sam and tell me what's going on. Stay on the phone with me, Jen."

Jethro was glad he had driven the government sedan home; he was running with lights flashing but no siren. He heard Jen go back in the house and then he heard her talking to Sam who wasn't crying but was definitely not happy either.

"He's alright Jethro. He's just so congested that he can't sleep. It would be so nice if he could blow his nose."

"Yeah, that would help. Jen, I want you to take Sam and turn on the shower as hot as you can and let it steam up then get in there with him. The steam will help him breath better. What's your garage door code?"

Jen gave him the number. "I'm hanging up Jethro so I can get in the shower. Just come on in when you get here.""I'll see you in a few minutes."

Jethro closed the phone and stepped on the accelerator. He was glad there was almost no traffic at this hour of the morning and what little there was moved out of his way. Of course, traffic rarely bothered him anyway. Twelve minutes later he pulled into Jen's driveway. He punched in the code on the garage door and then closed it behind him. He went in the house and back to the master bedroom. Over the years of their friendship he had done some work in the house for Jasper so he was familiar with the layout. He knew the large walk-in shower was perfect as a mini steam room for Sam.

He knocked on the bathroom door and heard Jen say come in.

Jethro had no idea if Jen was dressed or not but it didn't occur to him to worry about that. He went over to the shower and Jen opened the door. She was dressed in shorts and a tee shirt. She was sitting on the built-in seat at the back of the shower with Sam on her lap. He was naked and looked up at Jethro with tired eyes.

"Hey little man." Jethro reached out and rubbed Sam's head. "How's he doing?" Jethro couldn't help but see that Jen was exhausted. Her eyes were at half mast and she had dark circles under them.

"I think it's helping. I know it feels good to me. Thank you Jethro."

"You're welcome. Do you want to give him another few minutes?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Okay, I'll be back in about ten minutes and take him. Shout out if you need anything."

Jethro left Jen in the shower and went to Sam's room. He found the clean sheets for the baby bed in a drawer and put one on the bed. Then he got out some pajamas and a diaper. He went to Jen's room and pulled the sheets off her bed. He found clean sheets in the hall closet and remade the bed. Then he went back into the bathroom with a big towel and scooped Sam out of his mom's lap wrapping him in the soft towel.

"I'll get him settled if you want to finish a shower. Are you hungry? I could fix you a sandwich or some soup or whatever."

Jen looked at him like she didn't know him. She had never had anyone take care of her before and she didn't know how to react. She was hungry though so she decided to enjoy the attention.

"I'd love something to eat. There's ham in fridge. Maybe a ham and cheese with mustard."

"You got it. Take your time."

Jethro took Sam to his room and got him ready for bed. Once the little boy was diapered and wearing his pj's Jethro sat in the rocking chair with him for a few minutes until he fell asleep. Then he gently laid him in the bed. Looking at the sleeping child Jethro felt a tugging on his heart. He didn't want to feel it but he did. He felt the pull of innocent, all encompassing love that only a child can offer. He looked at Sam and wanted to be able to love him. He knew it would be easy to do. Easy, but dangerous. And potentially heartbreaking.

He heard the shower go off while he was putting together Jen's sandwich. He figured he had a few minutes yet so he found some tea bags and fixed her a cup of hot tea. He carried her sandwich plate and tea cup to the bedroom and set on the bedside table. Then he sat down on the other side of the bed and waited. Jen stepped out of the bathroom just a minute or two later. She was wearing some loose cotton shorts and a tee shirt and her hair was still damp. Jethro thought she looked wonderful. Tired, but still beautiful.

Jen looked at the newly made bed and the sandwich and tea and started to cry. She sat down on the side of the bed opposite Jethro and put her face in her hands and sobbed. Not being all that comfortable with crying women Jethro didn't move for a moment. But, he couldn't stand to see her crying so he went around and sat next to her and put his arm around her shoulder. He pulled her close and gently combed his other hand through her hair.

"Sssshh, it's okay, Jen. Sam's sound asleep. Don't cry."

Jen buried her face in his chest and clung to him. She took a shuddering breath and stopped crying. They sat like that, on the side of the bed holding each other for what seemed like a long time. When she sat up, Jen wiped her eyes and looked at him, her face full of distress.

"I'm such a mess. Why didn't I know what to do for my son?"

"Because you're exhausted and you've never had a child before. I have. We used to do that for Kelly at least twice every winter."

"I'm so sorry for getting you over here in the middle of the night."

"Don't be sorry. I'm glad you felt like you could call me. Come on, eat your sandwich."

Jethro brushed her hair back from her face and brushed away the last of her tears with his thumbs. He wanted to kiss her so badly he almost couldn't stand it. He told himself this wasn't the time.

Jen sat back against the headboard and made quick work of the sandwich. "That was wonderful. Thank you. You put clean sheets on the bed! I have never had anyone do that for me before."

"Nothing better than clean sheets. Now, you need to go to sleep. I'll stay and take care of Sam so you just sleep as long as you can."

"Jethro, I can't ask you to do that. You've done too much already. We'll be fine."

"You're not asking me. I know you're fine but you're exhausted and Sam will probably be awake in a hour or two. That's not enough sleep for you. I'll stay until you've had a good sleep and a decent meal. Now, go to sleep Ms. Sheppard, that's an order."

Jethro leaned down and kissed her lightly on the forehead. Then he turned off the bedside lamp and went out closing the door behind him. He leaned against the wall in the hallway and forced himself to get his very strong desires under control. He heard Sam in the nursery so he went in and patted him on the back a few times until he went back to sleep. Jethro settled into the rocking chair, put his feet up on the ottoman and fell asleep listening to Sam's steady breathing.

As he predicted, Sam woke up two hours later. Jethro lifted him out of the bed, changed his diaper and took him to the kitchen. He talked to Sam in a quiet voice that his team would never recognize. After fixing him a bottle, Jethro settled into what he knew to be Jasper's favorite recliner and handed the bottle to Sam.

"This was your grandpa's chair. He would have loved to sit here with you."

Jethro kept up a running commentary with Sam whose big blue eyes never left Jethro's face. He patted Jethro's face with a tiny hand as he greedily emptied his bottle. When he was through he dropped the bottle on the floor before Jethro knew what was happening. Sam grinned at his pal and sat up looking around and babbling.

"You feeling better little man? Don't wake up your mom now. She needs her sleep."

Sam was content to sit on Jethro's lap and made no attempt to get down. After about fifteen minutes he yawned hugely and rubbed his eyes. Jethro put him up on his shoulder and rubbed his back until he fell asleep. Instead of moving, Jethro reclined the chair, shifted Sam onto his chest and went to sleep. The warm weight and sweet baby smell was such a comfort he slept soundly for almost three hours. When he opened his eyes again he was met by a pair of dark blue eyes staring at him. Instinctively, Jethro kissed the little boy on the forehead and hugged him. He rubbed his soft red curls and kissed him again. He was hooked and he knew it.

"Good morning sweet boy."

Sam smiled and put his hands on either side of Jethro's face and kissed him sloppily on the mouth. Then he laughed and began wriggling his way out of the chair.

"Whoa there my friend. Let's go change your pants and then you can have some breakfast."

Jethro looked at his watch and was shocked to see it was almost 8:00. His team would be wondering where he was. As soon as he had changed Sam's diaper he peeked in Jen's room and saw she was sound asleep. He took Sam to the kitchen and put him in his highchair with a sippy cup of milk and some Cheerios. He kept an eye on him as he pulled out his phone to call DiNozzo.

"DiNozzo, I won't be there for a while. Call me if you get anything."

"You okay boss?"

"Yeah. I'm just tied up with something. I should be there by lunch at the latest but call me if Abby gets anything we can use."

"Will do, boss."

Jethro scrounged around, found coffee and got the coffee maker going. Then he mixed Sam some cereal and found a jar of plums in the fridge. He found a bib on the counter and got Sam ready for breakfast. It had been a very long time since he'd fed a baby but it seemed like second nature to him now. Sam was an eager eater and before long the cereal, plums, Cheerios and milk were all gone. And very little of it wound up on the bib or the tray or the man with the spoon. After putting the bowl and cup in the sink Jethro lifted Sam out of the highchair and took him outside with him to get the morning paper. They walked around the yard for a few minutes then went inside and Jethro put Sam down on the floor in the living room.

There was a toy box in the corner and Sam crawled to it immediately. He began pulling out trucks, cars, books and all manner of baby toys, most of which Jethro had never seen before. After quickly retrieving a cup of coffee from the kitchen, Jethro settled in the recliner to read the paper. He kept one eye on Sam and made the occasional comment on whatever toy the boy had brought out of the box. Pretty soon Sam was surrounded by toys and Jethro had finished the sports page; the only part of the paper he had the patience for most of the time. He put the paper down and joined Sam on the floor. Together they built a block tower which Sam delighted in pushing down over and over again. The little boy laughed and crawled over to Jethro, using his chest as a highway for his fire truck. The two boys were having fun on the floor when Sam's mom silently entered the room behind them.

Jen couldn't bear to interrupt them so she stood in the doorway watching them. Despite her resolution to avoid entanglements she knew she wanted Jethro in her life. And in Sam's life. She hadn't forgotten though that he had been very clear that he wasn't interested in a long term "thing". As she was wondering what that really meant Sam looked up and saw her watching him.

"Mama, mama." He started crawling toward her babbling as best he could.

Jethro turned around and sat up. He watched as Jen squatted down and put her hands out for Sam. The little boy reached her and she scooped him into her arms smothering him in kisses.

"Are you and Jethro having fun?"

There was laughter in her voice and her eyes as she looked over Sam's head and made eye contact with Jethro. What she saw there made her breath catch. She was sure what she saw was affection and not just for Sam. His gaze was intense and she found she couldn't look away from him.

Jethro watched Jen gather Sam to her and kiss him and he couldn't take his eyes off her. He was caught when she looked at him. Oh how he wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her until she couldn't breathe. He wanted to be part of her and Sam and make them part of him. And he didn't want to want that. He hoped the confusion he was feeling didn't show. He wanted Jen to see he cared, not that he didn't have the first clue what the hell he was doing.

Jen stood up with Sam in her arms and approached Jethro still sitting on the floor. She put a hand down to him and said, "Need help getting up, Agent Gibbs?"

Jethro took her hand but instead of getting up he just held her hand and looked at her. "I think I can manage. I'll put this stuff back in the toy box while I'm down here."

"Thank you."

After putting all the toys back Jethro stood up and took Sam from his mom. "Your mom shows up and you abandon me little boy! Some pal you are." He kissed Sam and ruffled his hair.

"You look like you feel better. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes. Thank you so much. I can't believe it's almost 10:00. I don't remember the last time I slept this late but I know it was before this guy showed up."

"I'm sure it was."

"I'm starved. Can I fix you something?" Jen started for the kitchen and Jethro followed, carrying Sam.

"No thanks. I probably need to go to work."

Jethro put Sam in his high chair and scattered a handful of Cheerios on the tray. Sam immediately began stuffing them in his mouth. Jethro leaned against the counter and watched him while Jen got eggs and juice out of the fridge.

"I don't know how to thank you, Jethro. Last night was so awful and I had no right to call you but I'm so glad I did."

"I'm glad too. As for thanking me, you could go out to dinner with me Saturday night."

Jen stopped what she was doing and looked at him. "That doesn't sound like I'm thanking you but I'd be happy to go to dinner with you."

"There is something else you could do."

"Oh yeah, what would that be?"

"You could kiss me." He hadn't really planned to say that but standing so close to her he couldn't resist.

"I could." And she did. She gave him a very quick, light kiss to the cheek then stood back and looked at him.

There was something in her eyes that gave her away and Jethro loved that look. He was pretty sure she could tell exactly what he was thinking. "Not exactly what I had in mind, Jen."

"Oh. Well, I can do better." And she did. Very much better. By the time they broke for air they were impossibly close together, his hands were tangled in her hair and hers were under his tee shirt holding him tightly.

"That was a whole lot better. You're welcome by the way."

They had stopped kissing but they had not moved away from each other. Sam was pounding happily on his tray but for the moment he was on his own. Jen hated what she was about to say but she had to know.

"Jethro, I thought you. . "

He interrupted her by kissing her again. He held her with his hands on either side of her face and kissed her thoroughly and with all the emotion he had been sitting on since last night. When he finally let her breathe she let her head fall to his chest and he wrapped his arms around her.

"I know what I said. We need to talk. But, I have to go to work. Can I call you in a day or two when this case is over?"

Without raising her head she nodded into his chest. "Go on, I know you have work to do. Sam and I are fine now, thanks to you. Call me when you can." She kissed him quickly and stepped back before she lost her resolve and kissed him again.

Jethro cupped her face with his hands and kissed her on the forehead. Then he kissed Sam on the head and said, "I'll call you as soon as I can."

When he was gone, Jen stood in the kitchen for a long time wondering what the hell was going on. Apparently something had changed for Jethro. She hoped that meant what she wanted it to mean; that she was going to be seeing a lot more of him instead of less.


	15. Chapter 15

**Trust Me**

The case took more time and effort than Gibbs had expected and he didn't get to call Jen until Friday night. He had spent what little free time he had thinking about her and what he was going to say when he finally got to see her again. On his way to pick her up for dinner on Saturday night he still didn't know how he was going to explain how he felt. It seemed like months since Labor Day when he had decided he wanted to keep seeing Jen. If tonight was going to be the night he explained himself he hoped he could figure out what to say in the next hour or so.

Jen was feeling very anxious about this dinner with Jethro. Ever since that kiss in her kitchen she had been wondering what Jethro was thinking. She knew he wasn't much of a talker so she was anxious to hear what he had to say. After all, he was the one who said they needed to talk. The babysitter had arrived and was watching Sam play in the bathtub so Jenny could finish getting dressed. Jethro arrived just as she finished putting on her lipstick. She kissed Sam goodnight and went to meet Jethro at the door.

"Wow, you look great Jen."

"Thank you. Much better than when you last saw me I hope."

"You always look good but that dress is very pretty. Ready to go?"

"Yes." Jen called out to let the babysitter know she was leaving and the two of them went out to the car.

"Who's watching Sam?"

"A young lady who lives two doors down. She's a senior in high school and is wonderful with Sam. Very dependable."

"Is is hard for you to leave him with someone?"

"A little I guess. Julia is great though so I don't worry. And, her mother is a pediatrician which is a nice bonus. In case of an emergency she's just two houses away. That makes it a lot easier."

They went to dinner at a small, semi casual Italian restaurant where Jethro was obviously well known.

"You eat here often I take it."

"Mostly I get take out from here but yeah, I've been coming here for a long time. I hope you like it."

The food was wonderful and the conversation was easy throughout the meal. Both Jen and Jethro were waiting for the other one to initiate "the talk" but neither seemed too eager to do so. Finally, over a shared piece of cheesecake, Jen decided she would have to get them started.

"Okay, enough stalling. You said we needed to talk so maybe we should do that. I admit to being a little confused Jethro. Can you help me out?"

Jethro let the bite of cheesecake melt in his mouth and followed it with a drink of coffee. He wiped his mouth and sat back in his chair, his gaze locked onto Jen's face.

"I wish I knew how to start."

"How about starting with why you backed off so far when you found out about Sam. I thought maybe you didn't like kids or just didn't want to be bothered but after what I've seen I don't think that's the case."

"No, I like kids and I like Sam especially." Jethro paused and took a deep breath before continuing. "I backed off because getting involved with you alone is not the same as getting involved with you and Sam. You and I can see each other and be as together as we want to be but if Sam is caught up in it he'll get hurt when it's over."

Jen took a drink of her wine and the last bite of cheesecake while she pondered what Jethro had said. It touched her that he was concerned about her son but she had to wonder about his acceptance that they would not work out in the long run.

"So, you're already thinking about us being over; not working. Is that what you're saying?"

"Yes."

"If you're so sure we're just a short term thing why bother?"

"It sounds bad when you say it that way. I like you, Jen. I like being with you and seeing you. I just know that eventually you'll want something different or more than I can give you. When that happens you'll move on. That's why I don't want Sam to get attached to me."

"I need some fresh air. Can we go please?"

"Sure."

Jethro paid the bill and they walked outside. It was a nice night, not too cool, and Jen felt like walking. They were in a busy area of Georgetown so she suggested they walk for a while.

"Jethro, I'm not sure what to make of what you've said. You want us to date but you don't want Sam involved. You are already convinced I'll leave you eventually and yet you want to continue to see me. Is that right?"

"Yes."

"Does that make sense to you?"

They were walking past a busy sidewalk café so Jethro took her hand and led her across the street a less crowded, quieter area.

"Look Jen, I spent Labor Day weekend trying to figure out how I feel about you. I know I'm not the best prospect for you but I like you and I want to see you. I've been told you want to see me. We're adults and we can deal with what happens when things don't work out. If we can leave Sam out of that all the better."

"You don't give me much credit do you, Jethro? Or yourself for that matter. You spent a lot of time and effort getting me to trust you and you succeeded. I trust you and I care about you but I sure as hell don't understand you!"

Jethro couldn't see her face and he couldn't tell from her tone of voice if she was angry or just frustrated or both. He found a bench in a small park area and led her over to sit down. They were both quiet for a while until finally Jethro reached up and gently turned her face so he could look at her. He stroked her cheek with his thumb and brushed her hair back. Then he leaned in and kissed her. When he reluctantly pulled back he stayed close and kept her hands in his.

"I'm just not ready to let you go, Jen. I can't make you any promises but I miss you when I don't see you. Please say you'll let me see you again."

"Jethro, I'm not the one who thinks this won't work. Of course I want to see you again. I don't want you to let go, I'm the one who wants you to stick around. Now, I think we've talked enough. Kiss me, please."

After several kisses and some sitting quietly, Jen realized it was getting late and she needed to get home. They made their way back to the car and drove home. Jethro reached for her hand and didn't let go until they pulled into Jen's driveway. When he still hadn't let go after they stopped and the car was turned off Jen began to wonder what he was thinking.

"Are we okay, Jen?"

She reached up and caressed his face with her free hand. "Yes, Jethro, we're good. I appreciate your desire to protect Sam even if I don't see the necessity. We will be a bit limited in our time together if he's not to be included but I want to see you. We'll do it your way for a while."

"Thank you. Should I give Julia a ride home?"

"Yes, please. I had a wonderful time tonight. When will I see you again?"

"If you're working tomorrow I'll see you then."

"Good. Tomorrow then." Jen kissed him goodnight and got out of the car.

Ten minutes later Julia appeared and Jethro dropped her at her house waiting to make sure she was in the house before he left. It had been an interesting night and he felt good about the outcome. Bottom line was he was going to get to keep seeing Jen for a while and there was nothing wrong with that.

For the next several weeks Jethro and Jen went to dinner, had drinks after work and rode horses together. Jethro felt himself being drawn closer to Jen and trusting her more and more. He found himself talking to her about cases that were bothering him and he marveled at her ability to just listen and not judge him. He never shared the really bad stuff because he didn't want her to be exposed to that. They didn't spend the night together and it wasn't until early November that Jen was introduced to boat building in the basement. That night they came very close to sleeping together but Jen managed to say no despite how much she wanted to say yes.

"I'm sorry, Jethro." As much a Jen wanted to be with him she was plagued by the idea that he thought of them as only temporary. She fought against getting too attached to him because of his refusal or inability to make any kind of commitment to their relationship.

"No, don't apologize. We're not on a schedule. I don't want you to feel pressured."

"Thank you." Jen fought down the urge to confront him and explain why she wouldn't sleep with him but decided to leave that for another time. For now she wanted to lighten the mood. "Okay mister, how in the hell are you going to get this wonderful creation of yours out of here?"

"That's classified. You want to work some more or do you need to go home?"

Jen looked at her watch and said, "I should probably go home. You know if you'd give in and see Sam we'd have more time together." She wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest.

"I know." Jethro kissed the top of her head and hugged her tightly. Things certainly weren't perfect but Jethro was determined not to let Sam get caught up on their adult business.

The following week Jethro and his team were immersed in a very difficult and emotionally draining case. Jen called him midweek but he was very short with her and said he'd have to call her later. Later turned into three days and when he called he sounded tired and sad and disgusted.

"Why don't you come over for supper? I'll bet Sam can make you feel better. He's running all over the place and trying to talk. I'd like you to see him."

"Jen. . ."

"For god's sake Jethro, one night won't hurt anything. You need a break. Come on, Noemi made chicken enchiladas today. I'll expect you at 6:30. Bye."

Jethro looked at his phone and realized she had hung up on him. He shook his head and smiled. Maybe an evening with her and Sam would help. It sure couldn't hurt.

The evening was everything Jethro needed. Good food, a beautiful woman and a cute little boy to take his mind off the horrors of the week. From the minute he walked in the door Jethro felt relaxed and cared for. Jen made sure he knew how much she had missed him and Sam seemed to know who he was even though it had been weeks since he'd seen him.

"I can't believe how much he's grown and changed in just a few weeks, Jen."

"You haven't seen him in two months. That's a long time in his life. And yes, he's really growing. Now that he's up and walking he's starting to slim down a little bit."

"He's still as cute as ever. And his mom is just as beautiful as she was last week."

"Thank you. Do you need to talk about this past week?"

"Probably but I won't. It's nothing you need to hear, Jen."

Having said that Jethro scooped Sam up and took him into the living room where cars, blocks and plastic animals littered the rug in front of the toy box. Jethro put him down and the two boys set about building towers and racing cars. Despite his resolve not to let Sam get attached to him, Jethro knew he was already attached to the boy. He realized as soon as he saw him that he'd missed him. He knew the smart thing to do would be to stay away but Jethro Gibbs could never be accused of always doing the smart thing. And besides, like Jen said, one night wouldn't hurt anything.

Jen stood in the doorway watching the two of them together and she knew her plan was working. Of course one night wouldn't hurt but, it would sure remind Jethro of what he was missing. Sam was a pretty engaging little boy and she knew it wouldn't take him long to have Jethro wrapped very tightly around his finger. She just had to manage to get them together every now and then and she was sure she could break down Jethro's stubborn refusal to spend time with Sam.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I'm now on my 3 days off and since the world didn't end I'll be posting probably two chapters a day.

**Trust Me**

Before they knew it Thanksgiving arrived and Jethro went to spend the holiday with his father. They had been talking on the phone regularly but what they really needed and wanted was a face-to-face meeting. It was a very good few days for both men and Jethro returned to work feeling better than he had in years. He had not seen or talked to Jenny for almost two weeks by the time she called him at work the Monday he returned from his leave.

"How was your visit with your father?"

"It was very good. How was your holiday?"

"Quiet. I probably should have gone away but I didn't. Anyway, would you like to come for dinner tonight?"

"I can't. We caught a case this morning so I'll probably be working. I'll call you when I can."

"Okay. Be safe."

On Wednesday Jethro found himself very near the stables at lunchtime so he stopped to see if Jenny could go for lunch. She was happy to see him and free for lunch so they went back to Vic's Place; the site of their first "date". It felt good to Jethro to be with Jen even for a quick lunch. He knew he missed her and he was pretty sure she missed him so he wondered why he was still so reluctant to just give in and admit he cared about her. A lot. More than he ever thought he would. More than he wanted to.

"It seems like forever since I saw you Jethro. Tell me about your father. Did you resolve some of the things you had talked about?"

"Yes, we put a lot of old hurts and bad feelings away. I had a very good visit and I feel like we'll be fine now. I should have done it a long time ago."

"I'm just so glad you reconnected with him."

"This must be a hard topic for you Jen. We should talk about something else. What is Sam up to these days?"

Jenny was surprised. Jethro had not asked about Sam in ages. Maybe he was reconsidering his position. She hoped so.

"He's great. He is on the go all the time. He talks nonstop but of course neither Noemi nor I have the slightest idea what he's saying most of the them. He says, Mama and something that is supposed to be Noemi. And he says up and down and no and eat. You should see him, Jethro, he's cuter every day if I do say so myself."

Jethro's phone beeped bringing their lunch to an abrupt finish. He paid the bill and walked Jen to her car. Without any hesitation he pulled her close and kissed her thoroughly and with obvious intent.

"I've missed you Jen. I'll call you when I can."

Jen could barely catch her breath much less respond so she just kissed him lightly on the mouth and got in her car. Jethro was very pleased with how lunch had gone and Jenny smiled all the way back to her office.

The next few weeks were busy for Jethro and for Jen as well. She was overseeing the construction of a new boarding stable so she was at the office early each day in order to keep up with what the builders were doing. Business was slow this time of year but she kept herself busy planning for spring and summer. She managed to get in some riding on nice days and was able to be home with Sam in the evenings. The only thing missing was Jethro. He seemed to be tied up with one case after another and was still firm in his intention to keep Sam out of their relationship. That limited the time they could spend together and was beginning to be a problem for Jenny.

On the last Sunday before Christmas Jethro and Jenny were having dinner together. Jenny seemed distracted and was not her usual self so Jethro finally asked her what was bothering her.

"I just have a lot to do before Sam and I leave next week. I guess I'm stressing about getting it all done in time."

"You're leaving?"

Jenny looked at him as though he had grown another head. "Yes, Jethro. I told you weeks ago, we're going to Scottsdale for two weeks to visit my aunt. We're leaving on Thursday."

"Sorry, I guess I forgot." He had forgotten and now he felt crummy both for forgetting and because she was going to be gone for two weeks. "I'll miss you."

"Really? We hardly see each other lately, Jethro. I'm sure you'll be busy."

"Yes, really. What's really going on Jen? Why are you mad at me?"

Jenny looked at him and contemplated answering that question. This wasn't really the time and certainly not the place for them to have a serious discussion about their relationship. Besides, Jenny didn't think she had the energy for it tonight.

"I'm not mad at you Jethro. I'm tired and stressed and I'd like to go home."

Jethro knew it was more than that but he had learned long ago not to push a woman when she was looking at him the way Jen was now. He had a sudden, sick feeling that she was slipping away from him.

"Are you sure we can't talk about whatever is wrong?"

"There isn't anything to talk about. I just need to go home, please."

Jen pushed her chair back and stood up so Jethro left enough money on the table to cover the bill and they left. The ride home was quiet. Jethro reached for her hand and held it but even that contact didn't seem right tonight. When they got to the house, Jethro went in with her and waited while she paid Julia. He stood on the porch and watched the young woman walk down the street to her house and when she was safely there he went back inside. He found Jen in the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"You sure you don't want to talk about stuff?"

"I'm sure."

Jethro kissed the side of her neck and she turned in his arms and wrapped herself around him.

"I'm sorry I ruined our evening."

"Sssh, you didn't ruin anything. I'm sorry you're stressed. I'd like to help if I can."

"I know but there's nothing to do. This isn't my favorite time of year and I just have to go through it."

They stood in the kitchen for a long time, his arms holding her close and her head on his chest. Jethro finally kissed the top of her head and she looked up at him and kissed him. He wanted to take her to bed so badly he couldn't stand it.

"I wish you'd let me stay, Jen."

She wanted him. In every way possible but she was determined not to give in when she doubted his willingness to stick with their relationship.

"I'm sorry, Jethro." She touched his face gently with her fingertips and then stepped out of his embrace.

"Will I see you before you leave?"

"Maybe we could have lunch. I guess it depends on your schedule. Call me and we'll see."

"Okay."

Reluctantly, Jethro left her and went home. He spent several hours with the boat and went to bed feeling discouraged and frustrated.

When Jenny and Sam left on Thursday it was very cold and windy which made her very glad to be going to Arizona. Jenny knew this was probably the last Christmas she would be able to get away with no big celebration. Sam was still too young to be interested in Santa and she was glad of that. Her father's death was still a fresh wound and she just didn't feel much like celebrating. Being in warm weather with her aunt who had no children would make it easier to deal with the holiday in a low key manner. She was also eager to have some time and space to think about Jethro and what she wanted from him. Or rather what she was willing to accept in lieu of getting what she already knew she wanted.

Since he had no family around and didn't really celebrate Christmas anyway, Jethro always volunteered to work on the holiday. This year would be no different. Before he was reminded she was leaving, Jethro had thought he would be spending Christmas and more importantly, New Years with Jen but that was not to be. He was beginning to have some doubts about their future and he knew that when she got home he was going to be forced to make some hard decisions.

While Jethro and his team were freezing their butts off working a crime scene, Jen and Sam were soaking up the sun beside her aunt's pool. They had only two more days before they were going home and Jen hated to think of leaving the warm weather for DC's frigid winter. She was anxious to see Jethro though so that took some of the sting out of going home. She and her aunt had spent many hours cussing and discussing one Special Agent Gibbs and Jenny had concluded some things would have to change in the coming weeks if their relationship was going to survive. She knew what she wanted. Now she just had to find out if Jethro wanted the same things.

They had spoken a few times by phone since she left but Jethro, not the best at talking in person was even worse on the phone. Their conversations consisted mostly of Jenny talking and him listening. He liked that because he loved the sound of her voice but it wasn't all that satisfying for either of them. Jenny wanted some feedback and give and take but those things were difficult to get from Jethro in person much less over the phone. So, by the time she and Sam got home she had spoken to Jethro only three times in two weeks. She knew he had been busy and she was hoping work would slow down for him pretty soon. He sounded tired when she spoke to him from the airport just before they boarded their flight home.

Truth be told Jethro was beyond tired and headed straight for exhaustion. His team was heading there with him. DiNizzo had been on leave the week after Christmas so of course they were investigating a multiple homicide. Without his senior agent, Jethro had to spend more time doing nuts and bolts investigating than usual while still delegating tasks and managing the overall process. The fact that two of the victims were children added stress and urgency to an already high profile case. When Jen called from the airport to say she was on her way home he tried to sound happy about it but he was sure he'd failed. Honestly, he just didn't have any energy to spend on anything but work at this point.

In his experiences with the important women in his life after Shannon, Jethro had never really experienced complete support where his work was concerned. When he would come home after long days and nights working he more often than not was met with either anger at his absences or a cold shoulder instead of support. He had no idea that if he would simply let her Jen would welcome him and care for him asking nothing in return. That was so far from his life experience he didn't even know it really existed. So, instead of going to her and letting her just be there for him he told her he would call her in a few days. When he did go home very late that night he fell asleep on the couch, not even able to make it up the stairs to his bed.

Jen had been home for three days before she gave up waiting and called Jethro from her office. When he answered she knew it was a bad time."Gibbs", he growled into the offending device.

"Jethro, it's me. This is a bad time I gather."

"Sorry, yeah it is. Let me call you back tonight."

"Okay."

Jenny hung up determined to take matters into her own hands. She called Julia and arranged for her to watch Sam for the evening. Then she went out to the barn and consulted with David. He warned her Jethro might not react favorably but also said it sounded like he needed an intervention and encouraged her to carry out her plan. Then she called Noemi and told her Julia would be over at 5:00 to care for Sam. She went to the grocery store, picked up what she needed and went to Jethro's house. She knew he never locked his door so she wasn't worried about getting in. Sure enough the door was unlocked. She carried her groceries inside and got busy.

Jenny knew Jethro was a steak and potatoes man but it was too cold to grill outside so he would have to settle for chicken tonight. She had a whole chicken in the oven along with baked potatoes. A chocolate cake was cooling on the table waiting to be iced. While the chicken and potatoes were baking, Jen went through the house dusting and straightening up. She put clean sheets on the bed and folded some clothes she found in the dryer. She put the sheets in the washer and the clothes from the washer into the dryer. At least he was doing his laundry she thought. She was just finishing folding the clothes from the dryer when her phone rang.

"Hey, Jen. Sorry about earlier. You still at work?"

"No. I left early today. Where are you? Not working I hope."

"I'm on my way home. Haven't been home before midnight in I can't remember how long. I'd like to see you. Any idea when we could get together?"

"I don't have any plans this week so any time would be fine. I'm anxious to see you too. Why don't we talk after you get home and relax."

"Sounds good. I'll see you later."

Jenny smiled to herself as she hung up. She hurried around, putting away the clean clothes and setting the table for dinner. She put the flowers she'd bought on the table and quickly iced the cake setting it aside on the counter. Everything was ready. She hoped Jethro would see that she was trying to help and not see her as being intrusive.

Jethro pulled into his driveway not paying any attention to the car parked in front of the house next door. When he walked in the front door he immediately knew something was up. There was a wonderful aroma of something cooking coming from the kitchen and the whole place was clean and tidy. His first reaction was a flicker of anger at her for making herself at home but in the next instant he realized he was happy to be home for the first time in a very long time.

"Jen?" Jethro started down the hall toward the kitchen.

Jenny came to meet him and saw he was surprised but not upset. She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at him.

"Please don't be mad. I could tell by talking to you that you were exhausted and I just wanted to give you some TLC. I hope you don't mind."

He reached for her and suddenly she was enveloped in a wonderful, loving embrace. He kissed her and ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her some more. It took all he had to stop and let her breathe.

"Thank you. It's exactly what I need. And so are you."

"Good. Dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes. Why don't you go shower and get comfortable and then we can eat."

"Okay." He kissed her again then headed upstairs for a quick shower. He took note of the clean clothes on the dresser, the bed made with clean sheets and the fresh towels hanging in a newly scrubbed bathroom. _I could get used to this._

They shared a quiet dinner and when they were through Jen shooed Jethro out of the kitchen so she could clean up. She took him a piece of cake and they sat on the couch together enjoying dessert.

"Thank you Jen. I can't remember ever being so spoiled for no reason. Certainly not in a very long time anyway."

"You're welcome. There are a couple of reasons you deserve this and one is that I've missed you very much these last couple of weeks."

"What's the other one?"

"I think I'll keep that to myself for now. You look like you're about to pass out, Jethro. I'm going to say goodnight and send you off to bed."

"All alone?" He used his best pleading voice but to no avail.

"Yes, I'm afraid so." Jen stood up and took their plates to the kitchen, put them in the dishwasher and turned it on.

When she got back to the living room Jethro was asleep on the couch. She knew he'd slept in much worse places so she just covered him up and kissed him goodnight. He barely moved. Jen stood there looking at him for a long moment before she let herself out the front door and headed home.

Two hours later Jethro woke up and tried to figure out why he was asleep on the couch. He scrubbed his hands over his face and shook the sleep from his brain. Finally he remembered the delicious supper, the chocolate cake and Jen. He sat up and looked at his watch seeing it was just before midnight. Not too late he decided. When he heard the sleep in her voice he thought maybe he'd been wrong.

"Jen, sorry I woke you."

"It's okay. You alright?"

"Yeah. I wanted to say thank you for being here tonight."

"You're welcome Jethro. I was happy to be able to do something for you. I hope it helped."

"More than you can ever know. Jen, I uh, we. . .can we talk tomorrow?"

"Sure. How about lunch if you can make it?"

"I'll pick you up at noon. Thanks again. 'Night Jen."

"Goodnight Jethro."

Jenny hung up the phone and laid there smiling to herself. Something had happened tonight. She took a chance and from all indications it had paid off. There was something different in Jethro's voice; a softness she had never heard before. Suddenly Jen knew, absolutely that "it" was going to work out for her and Jethro. They were going to be together she was sure. As she drifted back to sleep she wondered if Jethro knew it too.

He did. When he hung up Jethro got up and went upstairs to bed. He had a very good feeling about Jen for some reason. He realized that he had enjoyed tonight more than any other time he had been with her. It had felt so natural to have her in his home. When he walked in and found her there a weight seemed to lift from him and he felt calmer and more centered than he had since he last came home to find Shannon there. Something about having Jen in his house seemed right; she fit there and he wanted her there more. It was easy for him to imagine it would be even better to have Sam running to him and being able to scoop him up for a hug. Without even knowing it, Jethro was making up his mind to let down his defenses and open his heart completely to Jen and Sam. He went to bed feeling satisfied and looking forward to tomorrow.


	17. Chapter 17

**Trust Me**

As so often happened to him, work interfered with his personal life again and lunch had to be canceled. He could tell by her voice that Jen was disappointed and that made him feel just a tiny bit better. He hated to disappoint her but he was glad she cared about missing even a simple lunch. Jethro and his team spent most of the day tracking down the suspect they had been hunting for several days. They finally found him holed up in a warehouse in Alexandria. By the time they finally had him in custody, Ziva had a sprained ankle from chasing him up a stairway and Jethro had multiple minor injuries from tackling the man back down those same stairs.

Ducky wrapped Ziva's ankle and Tony helped her home. Ducky also cleaned and stitched up a cut on Jethro's thigh and wrapped his left wrist in an Ace bandage. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything he could do about the badly bruised ribs. Despite the ME's best efforts he and Jethro both knew Jethro was going to be very sore tomorrow.

"Can I give you a lift home, my friend?"

"No thanks, Duck. Do you have a minute?"

"Of course. Something on your mind, Jethro?"

Jethro took a deep breath then realized his bruised ribs didn't really allow for that. He winced in pain and tried to get comfortable on Ducky's hard metal table. He needed to tell someone about Jen and Ducky was his most trusted friend. Even though his injuries today were minor, Jethro realized on the ride back to the Navy Yard that if something serious happened to him none of his team would know to notify Jen. After his acceptance last night of his feelings for her and Sam, Jethro knew it would be a very bad thing if she didn't know if he was seriously hurt sometime.

"I've met a woman I need to tell you about."

"Alright."

"Her name is Jenny Sheppard. She is Jasper's daughter. And she has a little boy named Sam who is one."

"Jasper was your friend who owned the stables and was murdered last year, right?"

"Yes. Anyway, we've dated a few times and I, that is we, are…..Well I don't know what we are exactly but I wanted you to know about her in case anything happens to me because she should be called. I mean something bad, not like today, but if I'm in the hospital or killed or whatever."

"Jethro, you're rambling. So, you and Ms. Sheppard are involved and it's serious enough that you think she would want me to call her if you are say, hospitalized for some reason and can't call her yourself."

"Exactly. Isn't that what I just said?" Jethro grinned at his friend.

"I'm very happy for you my friend. It's about time you found someone to care for. And a little boy too. Good for you. And good for them as well I'm sure."

"Well, I don't know about that but we're going to give it a try." Jethro took out one of his cards and wrote Jen's name and phone numbers on the back and handed it to Ducky. "Just for you and me Duck."

"Of course. I look forward to meeting her someday. Now, you need to go home and take two pain pills and go to bed. No bourbon tonight, Jethro, not with those pills I gave you."

"Not even if I'm already in the bed?"

"Not even then."

"Geez Duck. Thanks, I'll see you tomorrow."

Jethro let Ducky give him a hand down off the autopsy table and together they rode the elevator to the parking garage. A few minutes later Jethro was on his way to Jen's house. He didn't want to go home alone tonight. He hurt and he wanted someone to be with; not just someone, Jenny. He glanced at the clock and saw it was almost ten o'clock and knew she was most likely still up. Twenty minutes later he was knocking on her front door.

"Jethro, my god what happened to you? Come in here."

"Sorry it's so late. I just didn't want to go home without seeing you today."

"Come in and sit down. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just some bumps and bruises. I'll be fine."

"Do you want an ice pack for your face? Or a drink?"

"An ice pack would be good but no alcohol. I have some pain pills for later and Ducky said no drinking."

Jethro sat on the couch and leaned back into the cushions while Jenny found an ice pack and brought it back to him.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"I tackled our suspect a little too close to the top of a stairway and we fell down the stairs. I'm fine really."

"Okay, if you say so. Would a kiss help at all?"

"Sure couldn't hurt."

Several kisses later Jethro could have sworn he actually did feel much better.

"Do you still want to have that talk you mentioned last night?"

"I guess so. I'm not sure what I wanted to say but I know I really enjoyed having you at the house last night."

"Anything else you want to talk about?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know. You're the one who said we needed to talk. I thought you had something to say."

"Jen, you know talking is not my best thing. We've been seeing each other for quite a while now and I guess I'm wondering if we can go forward pretty soon."

"You mean have sex?"

"Well, yeah. I wouldn't have put it that way but yeah. I think you know I've wanted that for a while but you're still holding back. I'm not pushing you, I just wondered if you being there last night meant we were getting closer."

"I am holding back, I admit it. It's because I feel like you have one foot out the door of this relationship and I don't want to be so caught up in you that I can't handle it when you step out with the other foot and are gone."

"What are you talking about? I'm not going anywhere."

"I'm talking about you putting such limits on us and thinking from the beginning that things won't work out for us. Why do you assume I'm going to leave you someday?"

Jethro sighed and closed his eyes. He reached out for her blindly, grasping her hand in his and bringing it up to kiss her palm. Jen willed herself to be quiet and wait for him to answer. She kept her eyes on him and could tell he was hurting. Maybe this hadn't been the time to lay all this out. She was on the verge of apologizing when he spoke. His voice was so quiet and tinged with such sadness that it almost broke her heart.

"Because that's what always happens."

Jen scooted closer and gently turned his face toward hers.

"Oh Jethro, I'm so sorry. I know you've been hurt so many times. I'm not going to do that. I'm not like those other women, I promise. I care about you Jethro and I want you in my life. I want you in Sam's life. If it was just me I wouldn't be so damned cautious but I have to be sure. I can't be with someone I don't trust, someone I don't want my son to be with. I want you to be part of Sam's life; a big part. I won't decide in a month or a year that I want someone else. I've waited too long to find you."

Jethro studied her face and he knew she was telling him the truth.

"Jen, I want to believe you. I'm not sure I'm the person you should have. I don't want to hurt you. Or Sam."

"Then don't. You can trust me Jethro. I don't know how to prove that to you but you can. I can't say I won't make mistakes but I will never willingly hurt you or break your trust."

"But I will hurt you; I always do. Sometimes I don't even know what I do but things always get screwed up and people always get hurt. I don't know if I can do that again."

Jenny knew it was taking a lot for Jethro to be so open and honest with her. She appreciated his concern for her and it only made her more convinced he was the man she wanted to spend her life with.

"Jethro, I know what I want from our relationship. I want it all; I want to make love with you, I want to wake up with you. I want to be with you for the hard times and I want to celebrate with you. You just need to decide what you want. I know this has been a tough day and maybe we should have had this conversation another time."

Just then, Sam began fussing and Jen's attention was drawn away for a moment. She knew she had to finish want she needed to say or she would lose her courage.

"I'm going to give you a break. I need to go see about Sam. You sit here and decide what you want and if you're still here when I come back we'll work things out somehow. If you're not ready I'll understand. Just don't be here when I come back. You can walk out that door and I'll accept your decision. It's your choice, Jethro but I need you to make it so we know where we stand."

She leaned over and kissed him gently on the mouth. Then she got up and went down the hall to Sam's room where he was now crying lustily. Jethro sat stunned on the couch. He hadn't expected an ultimatum tonight and he wasn't sure he was ready for it. He knew he wasn't ready for this to be over but then again he didn't know if he was ready to go all in with Jenny and Sam. _Who are you kidding? You were ready last night. You're crazy about this woman and if you walk away you'll regret for a very long time. But what if I screw it up? So don't. Stop comparing her to Diane and the others. What is your famous gut saying?_

Jenny got Sam up and quieted him then laid him down to change his diaper. He cooed softly at her and reached up for her face. Her attention was divided between her precious son and the man in the living room. She was listening intently for the sound of the door opening and closing. Once Sam was dry and quiet she sat in the rocking chair with him and lulled him back to sleep. She was beginning to relax and was about to stand up to put Sam back in his bed when she heard Jethro moving around in the other room. Then she heard the door open and moments later close quietly. Tears sprang into her eyes immediately and she angrily brushed them aside. She put Sam back to bed and took a deep breath as she walked out of his room.

A/N: EEEK, a cliffhanger! Since this was a shorty I won't keep you in suspense; next chapter coming right up!


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: I should have let you sweat a while but I just can't do it. Thanks for the alerts and the reviews.

**Trust Me**

Jenny walked slowly toward the living room intending to turn off the lights and lock the door. She couldn't believe Jethro had left. Refusing to cry, she walked toward the door and was almost there when it opened and Jethro walked back into the house. She stood frozen ten feet away from him, afraid to look at him but unable to take her eyes off his face.

When he stepped back into the house and saw Jen standing there with tears threatening to overflow her eyes he knew he'd made the right decision. He smiled at her and held up the small duffle he used as a ready bag.

"Thought I'd better get my toothbrush," was all he got out before Jen was in his arms and they were kissing and grasping at each other as if life depended on it. Maybe in some ways it did.

With tears on her face and in her voice Jenny said, "I heard the door close and I thought you were gone."

"Shhh, it's okay. I'm not leaving. I don't always know how to tell you what I'm feeling but I know I can't walk away from you. I want you Jenny Sheppard and I mean in every way."

Jenny slipped out of his arms and reached around him to lock the door. Then, without another word, she took him by the hand and led him down the hall to her bedroom. When the door was closed, Jethro dropped his bag and took her in his arms. Nothing was said for a long time as they kissed and touched and slowly undressed each other. They had both waited for this moment for a long time and neither wanted to rush through it. Jenny had to help Jethro pull his shirt off and when he was unable to mask the pain it caused she wasn't sure they should go forward tonight.

"Are you sure you're alright, Jethro?"

He silenced her with a kiss. When she stepped back she saw the big, ugly bruise on his rib cage. Keeping her eyes on his she let her fingers trace the bruise so gently he could barely feel her touch. Then she sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled him toward her. She replaced her gentle fingers with soft lips and tenderly kissed his aching ribs. Jethro let his fingers get tangled in her hair and groaned softly as she continued to soothe his pain.

They took their time to discover each other. A sprained wrist and bruised ribs were an inconvenience but certainly not a deterrent to either of them. In fact, much later, lying on his back with Jen's head on his chest he felt no pain whatsoever. With his good hand he was absently stroking her hair and his other hand was softly running up and down her back. Somehow he was still awake even though he was completely exhausted and relaxed.

"You awake, Jen?"

"Yes." She raised up on one arm so she could see his face. She was almost afraid to go to sleep for fear she would wake up and find him gone as if tonight were a dream.

"Tell me I'm not dreaming and you will be here in the morning."

"You're not dreaming and I will be here when you wake up."

"If I tell you I love you will it scare you away?"

"No."

"I love you Jethro."

In the dim light from the bedside lamp, they laid there and looked at each other for a long time. Her fingers gently caressed his chest and his skated up and down her back.

"I never expected to feel about a woman again the way I feel about you Jen. You make me think I can love again. Are you sure you want to risk your heart on me?"

"Yes. I have to. I already love you and I think I always will."

Jethro was silent but he tightened his hold on her and kissed her hair. They drifted off to sleep then, wrapped in each other's arms and both happier than they had been in a very long time.

About 3:00 Jen woke up to find Jethro sitting on the side of the bed gasping for breath and covered in sweat. She thought he was having a heart attack.

"Jethro, what's wrong?"

"Hurts. A lot."

"Should I call 911? Or take you to the ER?"

"Get my phone."

Jen found his phone and handed it to him. Then she pulled on some clothes in case she needed to take him somewhere. She got a washcloth and wrung it out in cool water for him. When she came back to the bed Jethro was just calling someone.

"Duck, something's wrong. I've got a lot of pain and I'm having trouble breathing."

"Are you at home?"

"I'm at Jen's."

"Have you taken the pain pills I gave you?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I fell asleep without them."

"What did you do tonight, Jethro? Anything strenuous, any lifting or working on the boat?"

"Jen and I, uh, we, uh, you know."

"Alright. Is your breathing getting any easier?"

"Yeah, it is. But I hurt Duck."

"Jethro, I want you to take two of the pills I gave you, preferably with something to eat. Then you will most likely do better if you can sleep sitting up rather than lying down flat. I suspect the pain you're feeling caused you anxiety which caused your breathing difficulty. You do not have any broken ribs; at least you didn't when you left me, so that's not the cause of your difficulty. Any nightmares tonight?"

"Yes, I think that's what woke me up. That and the pain."

"Alright. Do as I've said but call me if you're still having problems in thirty minutes. Do you want me to talk to Ms. Sheppard about all this?"

"Maybe you better. Thanks Duck, just a minute."

Jethro handed the phone to Jenny and explained who was on the other end and what he wanted to tell her.

"Hello, this is Jenny."

"Hello my dear. I'm Jethro's friend and his doctor." Ducky went on to explain what he thought was wrong and what he wanted Jethro to do. He assured Jenny he thought Jethro would be fine if he could get his pain under control but told her to call him back if it wasn't significantly better in half an hour.

"I understand Doctor. Thank you."

Jenny picked up Jethro's boxers and tee shirt and helped him stand up and put them on. She was still anxious about his condition but trusted that he and Dr. Mallard knew what they were doing.

"Come into the living room and sit in the recliner. I'll fix you some toast so you can take the pain pills. If you don't eat something they'll make you sick and I'm sure throwing up would not help your rib problem."

"No kidding. I'm sorry about all this, Jen."

"Don't be silly. I'm glad I'm here to help you and you're not home alone under the boat in this condition."

Jenny helped him get settled in the recliner, handed him a blanket and then disappeared into the kitchen. Jethro noticed his breathing was much better. The nightmare had been a bad one and he knew that, on top of the pain he was in, had caused this problem. He wondered how much to tell Jen about what happened.

Five minutes later, Jen was back with two pieces of toast and a small glass of milk and the pain pills. She settled herself on the couch across from him and watched Jethro devour the food. She realized he probably hadn't eaten any supper before he showed up at her house. She made a mental note to always offer him food when he showed up late at night.

"Would you like something else to eat?"

"No thanks. Why don't you go back to bed, I'll be fine."

"What did you mean when you said 'that's what woke me up'?"

"I had a nightmare. Happens sometimes."

"If it would help to talk about it I can hear it."

Jethro looked at her and saw only concern and affection on her face. He appreciated that she didn't ask him to tell her all about it. One of the things he liked most about Jen was her ability to be with him without talking. She was the least demanding woman he had ever known and he liked that very much.

"Not tonight but thanks for offer. You think I could sit over there with you?"

"Sure if you think you'll be comfortable."

Jethro moved to sit at the end of the couch with his feet on the coffee table. Jen sat beside him and he pulled her closer with his arm around her shoulders. She covered them with the blanket and snuggled into his embrace.

"Much better but are you okay?"

"Yes, I like this better too. If we can't be in the bed I'd rather be here with you. Are you feeling better?"

"Much. Thank you Jen."

"You're welcome. Now relax and try to sleep."

Jethro did sleep; until almost 7:30. When he woke up Jen was gone but Sam was standing looking at him and patting his leg. When he saw Jethro was awake, Sam crawled onto the couch beside him.

"Good morning little man."

Sam said something back but of course Jethro had no idea what he was saying. He reached out and ruffled the boy's hair and pulled him onto his lap. Sam continued babbling and Jethro talked to him as if they were having a regular conversation. That's what they were doing when Jen walked in the room.

"I wondered where he'd gone to. Last I knew he was asleep on my bed. How are you feeling?"

"Good. I slept great after I took the pills and had you next to me. I can't believe how much he's talking."

"Yes, if only we knew what he was saying! I understand about every fourth word."

Sam crawled off the couch and went to his mom saying, "eat, eat."

"That's pretty clear."

"Yes, eat is one of his best words. Will you have some breakfast before you go?"

"Sure. I'll go shower first."

Jethro returned to the kitchen for bacon and eggs accompanied by some very good coffee. Sam was in his high chair having Cheerios, banana slices and milk in a sippy cup.

"This is delicious. I could get used to this you know."

"That's sort of the idea I think. I'm glad you're feeling better. I hope you have a quiet day."

"Me too. I'm sorry if I scared you last night."

"Don't be. I'm just glad I could help a little."

Jethro's phone rang interrupting them. "Yeah, Gibbs."

"Just checking to make sure you're okay, Jethro. Tony said you hadn't come in yet."

"Running a little late, Duck. I'll be there in twenty."

He took his plate to the sink and rinsed it off. Swallowing the last of his coffee Jethro took Jen in his arms and gave her a slow, deep kiss. When they broke apart he gently ran his thumb over her lips.

"I gotta go. I'm not sure what we decided last night but I'd like to see you tonight."

"I'd like that. I think we decided I love you and we're going to enjoy each other as much as possible. That suit you?"

"Very much."

He kissed her again then leaned down and kissed Sam on the head and told them both goodbye. When he was gone Jenny did a quick dance of happiness that had Sam laughing and pointing at her. Ten minutes later when Noemi arrived Jen and Sam were dancing around the kitchen together.

"You seem very happy today, Senora. Did you get some good news?"

Jenny had told Noemi about Jethro already so she updated her on the new developments. Noemi was happy for her and hoped this Senor Gibbs was everything Jenny thought he was.


	19. Chapter 19

**Trust Me**

When he got to the office his team was busy working on their reports. At least that was what they were doing when he walked in from the elevator; he would have bet a month's salary that wasn't what they had been doing ten seconds before he arrived.

"Reports before noon everyone. I'm going down to see Ducky."

"You feelin' okay Boss?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, DiNozzo."

"Ah, good morning Jethro. I take it the pain pills worked."

"Like magic. Slept until 7:30 sitting up on the couch."

"Ms. Sheppard must be someone very special, my friend."

"She is but what makes you say so?"

"You obviously trust her. That says special to me."

"I do trust her. Listen, Duck about last night. Why was my reaction so over the top? Are you sure there isn't something else wrong. I mean, I've been hurt before and had nightmares before but last night I could barely breathe for a minute or two."

"I'm guessing here but I suspect if you had been alone it would not have been so severe. You were with Jenny, a person you obviously care about and trust and you felt safe. You relaxed your considerable defenses and the result was you felt this combination of the nightmare and the pain much more fully."

"I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not."

"It is what it is, Jethro. Not good or bad just what was real for you last night. In my opinion, being able to let her see you hurting is a good thing if you two are going to have a serious relationship. Trust is an important element of any relationship and one that has been sorely missing in your past experiences."

"She says she loves me."

"What do you say?"

"Not much."

"Really? I'm shocked! Was she expecting a reply?"

"No. I mean I replied of course but I didn't say I love her."

"Do you?"

"Not sure. Probably. She's really something, Duck. Beautiful and smart and not at all intimidated by me. She doesn't have to talk all the time. She already knows about Shannon and Kelly. Knew them from the stables and knew when they died. That helps."

"Yes, that eliminates a lot of painful explanations. Just take your time, Jethro and enjoy her. Let yourself love her if that's where this goes."

"Thanks Duck. I better go check on my guys."

Over the next few months Jethro and Jenny did just as she had suggested in the kitchen that morning. They spent as much time together as their schedules allowed and enjoyed each other in every way. Jethro was becoming more and more attached to Sam and vice versa. When possible, Jethro liked to read him a story before he went to sleep; something he had done for Kelly every night he was home. He played with him, rocked him to sleep at night and gave him a bath if he was there on time.

Jenny was getting busier every week at the stables. The new barn was finished and all the boarding stalls were spoken for. She had purchased two more horses for classes and a colt she intended to train and keep for Sam. Her group and individual classes were quickly filling up so business was booming for her. Jenny was happy with how things were going between her and Jethro. She could see the positive effect Sam was having on him. When the two of them were together Jethro was completely relaxed and focused on Sam; whatever ugly or horrible things he had seen or dealt with that day were cast aside at least for the hour or two he spent with Sam in the evening. When Jethro was there, Sam had little to do with her; his attention was concentrated on Jethro and Jenny wouldn't have had it any other way.

One night in early April they were sitting on the couch together relaxing after a very long day. It had been several days since she had seen Jethro and he had not come to the house until almost 10:30. He was tired and hungry when he got there so Jen had fixed him a plate of leftovers which he made quick work of and now they were enjoying some quiet time together. After a very nice, very intense kiss Jenny pulled him down so his head was in her lap. She ran her fingers through his hair then one hand found its way under his shirt and she began drawing circles on his chest.

"Jethro, I need to ask you something."

"Okay."

"What do you want Sam to call you?"

"Huh?"

"What do you want Sam to call you? Do you want him to call you Jethro or Gibbs or what?"

"That's not really what you're asking is it?"

"Yes, it is. He's talking more all the time and he needs to call you something."

"What do you call me when you talk to him?"

"I refer to you as Jethro."

"Then why won't he just call me that? When he can say it that is."

"Okay. I just wanted to get that straight."

Jethro sat up and slowly shook his head. "That is not what this was about. What do you want Sam to call me?"

Jenny looked off to the other side of the room. He knew her too well. She knew of course what she wanted but she was pretty sure Jethro would not think it was a good idea. She knew, under the present arrangement it wasn't really but she couldn't help dreaming it would happen.

"Jen? You going to answer me or not?"

"Not. Just forget it."

"You know I will get it out of you. I have my methods."

"And I enjoy them very much. Maybe I'll just let you try."

"You can tell me Jen. I probably know anyway."

"You think so?"

"Yeah I think so. Go ahead and ask me Jen, it's alright."

Jenny looked at him and from the look in his eyes she thought maybe he did know what she wanted and just maybe he wanted it too. He had his trademark half smile on his face and his blue eyes were dancing with love and desire for her. She loved his face. And his hands and his chest and all his other parts as well. She wanted him forever and she thought he felt the same way but they never really talked about the long term future. As far as they ever got was talking about the next weekend. What she wanted was way past next weekend.

He just kept watching her as she tried to decide what to do. Jethro was sure he knew where this was going but he wasn't going to help her along. They were having a wonderful time together these past few months and he was very happy with their current arrangement. He also knew it couldn't last much longer. Jen was going to want something more permanent; something she could count on for Sam. It had taken him a while to get used to the idea but Jethro wanted something more too. He wanted a family again. More specifically he wanted a family with Jenny and Sam. He had come to love the little boy as if he were his own child and he couldn't imagine ever walking away from him much less his mother. He knew it was mean to tease her but it was so fun watching her try to sort out how to get what she wanted from him.

"Jen, you know no matter what you ask me I won't get mad or leave or laugh at you. Come on, spit it out."

"Oh alright. You think you're so damned smart. I want Sam to call you daddy. Now are you happy? Is that what you wanted to hear?"

She punched him lightly on the chest and he grabbed her wrist.

"That is exactly what I wanted to hear. And yes, I am very happy."

Watching the emotions flicker across her face was fascinating. It was far better than any reaction he had ever seen in an interrogation room. It was all he could do not to laugh but he had promised. She was scared, shocked, happy and confused in that order. When she narrowed her eyes at him and leaned in poking him in the chest with her finger he was, just for a moment, a little bit worried he was going to be banished to the couch tonight or worse, sent home.

"You. . .you knew what I was going to say and you didn't help me out. You knew what you were going to answer all along. Sometimes you baffle me Jethro. I don't know what to do with you."

"Of course you do. Take me to bed, it will all come back to you I'm sure."

"Let's back up. You're alright with Sam calling you dad? Doesn't that mean something for the two of us?"

"I sure hope so." He sat there as calm as could be and it was driving her crazy.

"Oh my god Jethro what are you saying?"

"I'm saying I want to be Sam's dad. I'm saying I love you, Jen and I love Sam. I want us to be a family."

He had done it. He has shocked her speechless. Jen covered her face with her hands and when she took them down there were tears in her eyes. Jethro pulled her onto his lap and kissed her tears away. Brushing her hair back he framed her face with his hands and kissed her gently at first and then with all the emotion his declaration of love deserved. Finally with no air left between them he pulled away and looked at her.

"It was mean to tease you. I'm sorry. I love you, Jen. I think you've waited long enough to hear me say that."

"It was worth it. I love you."


	20. Chapter 20

**Trust Me**

There were no earth shaking changes in their lives after Jethro admitted he loved her. They just began spending more time together and including Sam in whatever they were planning. Jethro took some responsibility for him on weekends when he wasn't working so Noemi could have those weekends off. When he had Sam, Jethro took him to his house sometimes or to the stables with him. He had a sort of safety belt/harness he used so he could take Sam riding with him. He never went far but since the little boy seemed to love riding he took him most weekends he wasn't on call or working. As the days got longer there was often time for the three of them to go riding together which was even better as far as Jethro was concerned.

They spent more and more time at Jethro's house which meant he was slowly but surely acquiring not only toys but cosmetics, lacy things and other signs of a woman in the house. He didn't mind all that; in fact if he had his way Jen and Sam would move in with him full time. He hadn't brought it up though because things were going very well and he didn't want to move too quickly. There was still the old nagging thought in the back of his head that something would happen to bring all this to a screeching halt. In the meantime he just wanted to enjoy it while he could.

Jen took pleasure in watching her son and Jethro together. Jethro was everything she could ask for as a father figure for Sam. He was patient and loving and shared her feelings about parenting and discipline. She felt completely at ease when Jethro was watching Sam. As for Sam, he was growing and changing every day. He was walking, or more accurately, running all over the house and talking all the time. He seemed to have the energy of four people and loved to throw things and bang something on something else all the time. In other words he was all boy. When he was tired though he still liked to cuddle with her or Jethro and look at books.

On Memorial Day, Ducky invited the team to his house for lunch so Jen and Sam were introduced to the people she had heard so much about over the past few months. They were very interested to meet her and Sam and of course, DiNozzo had many, many questions he wanted to ask. Jethro made sure he didn't get the chance. Jen spent a long time talking to Ducky and came away knowing why Jethro trusted him so much; it was obvious the talkative medical examiner loved Gibbs and vice versa. By the time they got home that night Jenny had a great appreciation for Jethro's team and she was beginning to better understand his devotion to them. She could see there was a special kind of trust between them that allowed them to work in dangerous situations with confidence in each other. As she fell asleep in his arms that night Jenny prayed that Jethro would always have their protection.

The next few weeks went smoothly for the couple and they were looking forward to a busy but enjoyable summer. As Jenny got more and more involved at the stables their time was sometimes limited as much by her schedule as Jethro's but they still managed to see each other almost every night. Noemi was invaluable to Jen in caring for Sam and keeping the house in order and food in the fridge. But, as the saying goes, all good things must end and by the middle of June small cracks were beginning to develop in their relationship.

Jethro's team was chasing a serial rapist for most of the month of June and when they had no firm leads ten days into the case he began to lose what little patience he had. He began spending more nights at his house than at Jen's and even on weekends they were not seeing much of each other. Jen's schedule was keeping her at work a lot but it was Jethro shutting down emotionally where she was concerned that was the real problem. He refused to discuss the case with her at all and would not even talk to her about his own frustrations and worries. He was so short tempered sometimes she didn't recognize him. She tried to explain she just wanted to help any way she could but Jethro wasn't hearing her. She knew the few hours he wasn't working were spent in the basement working on the boat. She was beginning to resent that damned boat and the bourbon that fueled his late night work sessions. She could feel him shutting her out more and more every week and she was powerless to stop it. Finally in desperation she called Ducky.

"Ducky it's Jenny Sheppard. Do you possibly have time to meet me for lunch one day this week?"

"I imagine I can do that, my dear. Is something wrong?"

"I think so and I'd like some advice. You pick the day and the place and I'll be there."

"Actually I'm free today if that works for you. Say 11:30 at Café Roma?"

"That's perfect. I'll see you there."

Jenny was waiting when Ducky arrived at the small restaurant near the Navy Yard. They ordered and Ducky could sense she was anxious to get to the reason for this lunch.

"What can I help you with dear?"

"Ducky, I know you have known Jethro for a long time and I'm worried about him. This rapist case is tearing him up and driving a serious wedge between us. He spends most of his nights now at his house, alone. He won't let me offer him any comfort or support. I feel him slipping away from me. What can I do?"

Ducky took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts before answering. He had known Jethro through three of his marriages and two or three other serious relationships over the years and he knew his friend was a challenge as a partner. He was impressed that Jenny was asking for advice; none of the other women in Jethro's life had ever done so. They just got fed up and then gave up. Maybe this young woman had the fortitude needed to make a life with his friend.

"Jenny, my dear Jethro is under tremendous pressure to solve this case. The director is being pressured by the SecNav and that is filtering down to our friend. He also puts even more pressure on himself as I'm sure you can imagine. My best advice is to be patient and try not to take his pulling away from you personally. Part of what he is doing is trying to shield you from the case itself and from his own persistent bad mood."

"But how can I help him? It hurts me to see him so isolated?"

"He is used to being isolated, my dear and at times like these it's probably something of a comfort for him. Just do what you can to let him know how you feel and that you are going to be there when he's ready. Jethro's experience tells him that you will not be. In his past relationships, when something like this came along the damage was eventually too great to be repaired. The wives or girlfriends couldn't get past his silences and his brooding. They felt betrayed when he wouldn't tell them everything he was thinking and feeling. Don't make the mistake of expecting him to do so even when this case is over. And remember, there will be another case eventually. And another one after that. If you aren't prepared to deal with that reality you should consider letting Jethro go now. It would be kinder to both of you."

"I certainly am not thinking of letting him go. Not now or in the near future. I love Jethro and I'm sure he loves me. I'll just have to figure out how to remind him of that. Thank you so much Ducky."

"You're welcome my dear. Good luck."

They ate their lunch in thoughtful silence both lost in their thoughts about Jethro. By the time the check came Jenny had an idea.

"Ducky, would you mind calling me tonight when Jethro leaves the office? I have an idea but I'll need to know when he's getting home."

"Of course, I'll be happy to let you know when he leaves. It may be late you know."

"I know. That's alright."

Later in the afternoon Jenny called Jethro. "I just called to say I love you. I haven't told you that enough lately and I wanted to be sure you remember."

"I love you too. I know I've been a bastard lately, Jen. I can't say when things will get better."

"I understand. Don't worry about it. I love you. Bye."

It was the most conversation they'd had in a week and she hated to hang up but she didn't want to give away her plan and she knew she would if she stayed on the phone with him any longer. The rest of the day was super busy for Jenny and when she left the stables at 7:00 Ducky still hadn't called. She had arranged for Noemi to stay with Sam until she got home no matter the time so she drove toward Jethro's house instead of hers when she left her office. She was almost there when Ducky called and said Jethro had left the Navy Yard and was on his way home. She thanked him and ten minutes later she pulled into Jethro's neighborhood. She waited down the street until she saw him turn onto his street then she followed him home.

Jen pulled in right behind Jethro and met him at the door as he stepped out of his car. When he started to say hello she silenced him with her finger on his lips. She gave him a quick kiss on the mouth then led him into the house and straight up the stairs to the bedroom. Jethro was exhausted and he had planned on some bourbon, his boat and his bed in that order. But, something in the look Jen gave him told him to be quiet and do what she wanted and he would probably like it.

When they got to the bedroom Jenny paid no attention to the unmade bed or the overflowing laundry hamper. All her attention was focused on the man she loved and making sure he knew how she felt about him. To that end she pulled him into a searing, passionate kiss that left no doubt in his mind where this was going. When they finally broke the kiss in order to breathe again Jenny stepped back and graced him with one of her best smiles.

"I know you're in a difficult place at work right now and you need to focus on that but I wanted to remind you how much I love you. I want to make love to you Jethro. I want you to relax just for tonight and not think about anything but us for a few hours. I don't want us to talk about work or the future or the past or anything else outside this bedroom. Can you do that for me? For us?"

"Yes."

He reached for her and she went happily into his arms. They slowly undressed each other and took their time to savor one another. They made love over and over that night, sometimes it was the slow, sweet dance of seduction and sometimes it was hurried and frantic and demanding. When they finally fell asleep in each other's arms the only words they had exchanged were those uttered in the throes of passion, words meant to express the urgency and intimacy of the moment.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: I know this is a short one but with all the excitement-not the good kind-with tornadoes etc here in Oklahoma tonight, I'm tired and going to bed. I'll try and get you another chapter in the morning. Thanks for reviews and alerts.

**Trust Me**

Jethro slept deeply for three hours and woke to find Jenny curled into his side sound asleep. He felt like he would never have enough of her and yet he knew they weren't likely to be together again like this any time soon. The damned job was just too demanding right now and he couldn't let anything, not even this beautiful woman distract him. He carefully untangled himself from her and got up pulling on his pants and shirt. He made his way to the basement and poured himself a drink. Then he picked up some sandpaper and lost himself in the repetitive motion that helped him empty his mind of every regret and every doubt.

He let his mind wander for a few minutes to the woman upstairs in his bed. He knew he was pulling away and he was powerless to stop himself. The case was overwhelming them all but the pressure was squarely on his shoulders. Jenny was trying to be patient he knew and tonight had been great but it didn't change how he dealt with cases and pressure and he wondered if she would be able to withstand something like these past few weeks several times a year. He knew it would take a toll on their relationship; a toll that no one else had ever been willing to pay.

When he heard her on the stairs he had no idea what time it was. He looked at his watch and saw it was 6:45. Time to get back to work. He glanced up as Jen reached the bottom step.

"Jethro, why are you down here?"

He heard the hurt in her voice. The unmistakable hint of anger. "Couldn't sleep and I didn't want to wake you."

"You can't even spend one night in bed with me?"

He didn't know what to say and he didn't want to snap back at her so he kept quiet.

"Jethro?"

"What?"

"Don't you have anything to say? I thought after last night we could at least sleep the night together."

"I wasn't sleeping and I knew I wouldn't be so I got up. I didn't do it to hurt your feelings, Jen."

"Did last night mean anything at all to you besides some good sex?"

He put down the sandpaper and took a deep breath. He didn't want to have this conversation now. Why did it always seem to come down to a conversation like this in this basement?

"I think you know better than that. You said you knew I was in a bad place at work and you understood that. Were you just saying that because it sounded good? This is not about you, Jen. This is who I am and what I do. If you can't accept it then you need to think about getting out."

Jenny crossed the distance between them and he took her in his arms. She wrapped herself around him and hugged him tightly.

"I'm sorry Jethro, that was a terrible thing to say. I just feel like I'm losing you and it scares me. I don't want that to happen."

"Listen to me. You need to think about these past few weeks and realize this will happen again. This case will be over eventually but in a month or two or six there will be another one just as bad. And I will probably be the same bastard then that I am now. The truth is, Jen, I may not be able to give you what you need even though I may want to. I want you to think about that."

"Please don't say that Jethro."

"Jen, has it occurred to you that I'm the common denominator in several failed marriages and relationships? Maybe I'm not capable of being who you think I am or who you want me to be. I love you Jen and I don't want to hurt you. Think about what you really want and what you are prepared to live with. And what you are willing to let Sam live with. Now, I have to go to work. Care to share a shower before I go?"

"I'm sorry I brought all this up. I only wanted to give you a break and remind you how much I love you. I won't give up on us Jethro and I don't want you to either. I love you and yes, I'd be happy to share a shower with you."


	22. Chapter 22

**Trust Me**

Over the next two weeks Jethro and his team worked several cases all while trying to catch the serial rapist. The SecNav and the director continued to breathe down his neck and no matter how many times they went over the evidence they weren't making much progress. Jethro tried to see Jen more often than he had been and tried to spend time with Sam but he was so focused on the case and so damned frustrated by their lack of progress he wasn't very good company for either of them. He was still going home very late and spending time trying to unwind with the boat. He kept hoping if he could lose himself in a few hours of physical labor he could up with some inspiration that would lead them to their dirt bag. It had always worked in the past and he was counting on it working again.

Finally the rapist made a mistake and Abby was able to get some DNA from his latest victim. Two solid days of tracking finally led them to the man they had been searching for high and low for the past month. Their case was ironclad thanks to Abby and two of the victims who were able to identify the suspect. A big stack of paperwork was all that was left to do so Jethro sent his team home early on Thursday night telling them to get a good nights rest and come back ready to complete their reports on Friday morning. Then he picked up some flowers and a bottle of wine and headed to Jen's house.

Jethro didn't expect Jen to just welcome him with open arms after all the anxiety and nights spent alone in the past few weeks. He was prepared to work his way back into her good graces no matter what it took. Since their conversation in the basement they hadn't talked about anything more serious than what to eat or what Sam's latest accomplishment was. He was still not sure they could make it in the long run but for now he was willing to keep working on it. He hadn't been to Jen's house in a week and was anxious to see Sam as well as his mom. When he got to the house Jen was not yet home and Noemi was feeding Sam in the kitchen. When he stepped into the room Sam clapped his hands and started babbling at him immediately. Noemi smiled at him and told him how happy she was to see him there.

"It has been too long Senor Gibbs. Sam has missed you."

"I've missed him. Has he been behaving himself?"

"Of course. He is a wonderful baby. Did you catch the bad man?"

"Yes, finally. Do you know when Jen will be home?"

"She called and said she was taking a group out for an evening trail ride. I think she will not be home until 9:00 or maybe 10:00."

"Okay. Why don't you go home and I'll take care of the little man here. You've probably been here too much lately."

"I don't mind but thank you, I will go home. Take care, Senor."

"Good night Noemi."

Jethro helped Sam finish his supper then took him to the living room to his toy box. It always relaxed Jethro to watch Sam play and tonight was no different. He settled on the couch and Sam played happily with his blocks and trucks for almost twenty minutes before he made his way to Jethro and crawled onto the couch with him. Jethro took him into the bathroom and let him play in the bathtub for a while before getting him washed and ready for bed. After reading him a story, Jethro rocked the little boy to sleep. For a long time he sat in the chair soaking in the child's sweet smell and soft, cuddly body. Finally he put Sam in his bed and went to clean up the kitchen. Then he took a quick shower, dressed in some clean shorts and a tee shirt and headed back to the couch. As he passed Sam's room he heard him moving around in the bed and went in to check on him. Sam was standing up in the bed smiling at him.

"What are you doing awake little boy?"

"Out, out. Dadadada."

"You want to come with me to the couch and watch the ball game? Okay, come on."

Jethro scooped the laughing child up and carried him on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. When he gently dumped him on the couch Sam shrieked with delight. Jethro laughed with him and they settled down with a baseball game on the television. Jethro explained everything that was happening on the screen and Sam kept up a commentary of his own. Sam lasted only three innings and then was fast asleep in Jethro's lap. Two innings later Jethro was also sound asleep and that is how Jenny found them when she came home twenty minutes later.

When she saw Jethro's truck in the driveway Jenny was as happy as she had been in a long time. Seeing him asleep on the couch with her son snugly in his lap brought tears of happiness to her eyes. Very quietly she entered the room and leaned down to kiss her lover. Naturally he had heard her come in and kissed her back with enthusiasm. He held her to him with one hand in her hair as he deepened the kiss. Eventually they had to breathe and Jen whispered in his ear how happy she was that he was home.

"We finally got him."

"Thank god. I've missed you so much Jethro. Welcome home."

He tried not to seem surprised because he knew that would be an insult to Jenny but her reaction was so contrary to his experience he couldn't help it.

"I know, you expect some sort of pouting or cold shoulder Jethro but you won't get it here. I love you and I'm happy you accomplished your goal and you're here. We won't be wasting any time worrying about the last few weeks."

"I love you Jen. Let me put Sam down and I'll try and show you just how much."

And so, that night they began working their way back to each other. Jethro never talked about the case and Jen never brought up the difficulties it had caused them. They each wanted to put it behind them and concentrate on the present. For several weeks that worked out fine. Jenny continued to be busy at the stables and Jethro had plenty of cases keeping him and his team occupied. They made time for each other though and things were back on track for them as they celebrated the Fourth of July together. Privately they each wondered what would happen when the next big case came along but neither of them wanted to broach that subject. Jethro took Sam riding with him most Sundays and the three of them had dinner together almost every night. In Jethro's mind they were becoming a family.


	23. Chapter 23

**Trust Me**

In some ways Jenny felt like they were living on borrowed time. She had done a lot of soul searching after their confrontation in the basement. She wasn't sure if she was capable of dealing, several times a year, with the sort of stress and upset that the rapist case had caused. She knew she didn't want Sam exposed to Jethro's bastard side. Ever. Of course, Jethro had never been anything but loving to Sam even during his worst days but he also wasn't around much. Jenny wondered how she would explain that to Sam as he got older. How would she explain that the man he thought of as daddy wasn't coming home for days on end? How would she explain that the man he loved and waited for at night wasn't going to be there? This was what Jethro had tried to warn her about; Sam getting hurt. It was the thing that Jenny most feared and was most determined to avoid.

But, to avoid it she would have to start backing away now and she just couldn't bring herself to do that. While she couldn't forget how it felt to have Jethro shut her out for so long she also couldn't forget how it felt when he was back. She thought about how her heart sped up when he walked in the room. She remembered how it felt to have him touch her, kiss her and hold her in his loving embrace. Thinking about all the good things he brought to her life made it almost impossible for her to think of letting Jethro go. She selfishly wanted as much of him as she could get for as long as possible.

Strangely, it was Jethro who was beginning to think the whole thing might just work out. He was more in love with Jenny every day. Of course he was keeping that to himself. He was absolutely crazy about Sam and could no longer imagine his life without the little boy in it. They had not had a really bad case in a few weeks but there were a couple that in the past would have driven Jethro into a bad mood for days. He realized that knowing he had Jenny and Sam waiting at home made even those cases easier to deal with. His team certainly didn't sense any change in their boss but Jethro could feel himself changing. He felt calmer inside and he found it easier to leave the work at his desk and leave it there at a reasonable hour. Just as Jenny was beginning to accept that their long term future was in doubt, Jethro was finally willing to admit, at least to himself, that he thought they were going to make it.

One Saturday in late July, Jethro walked into Jen's office and overheard her finishing a phone call. She was more than a little bit upset.

"Just make sure you handle it Stephen. I don't want to hear from him, ever."

She slammed the receiver down and covered her face with her hands. When she looked up and saw Jethro standing in the doorway she tried to smile.

"I didn't know you were here. I thought you were working today."

"I am. Are you okay? Was that Sam's father?"

"I'm fine. Yes, that was Sam's biological father."

"I thought he was out of the picture."

"He is. That was more business than anything. Don't worry about it. Are you here to take me to lunch?"

Jethro decided to do as she obviously wanted and not press her about the call. She had told him all about Stephen and he knew she had no feelings for him; he was not a threat to their relationship or to Sam. Still, something in her face told him there was something going on.

"Yes, I am here to take you out for a quick lunch if you can get away."

Jen came from behind the desk and embraced him kissing him hungrily. "I definitely have time for lunch with you."

Two days later Jen got another call from Stephen while they were having dinner. Again, she refused to tell Jethro what it was about. Over the next couple of weeks Jethro was aware of several more calls that upset her. Each time he asked what was going on and each time she declined to talk to him about it. Finally one night while they were getting ready for bed Jethro decided he'd had enough.

"Jen, why won't you tell me what's going on with Stephen?"

"Because it's not important. I can handle it."

"If it's not important why is he calling you all the time? He didn't call for a year and now he seems to be calling every other day."

"It's just something involving his family, his brother really. It doesn't have anything to do with us."

"Then why is he calling you?"

"Oh alright. His brother, Brandon, used to have a crush on me and Stephen says Brandon wants to come see me and meet Sam."

"And you don't want him to do that, right?"

"Of course I don't. I don't want Sam to have anything to do with Brandon. He's not exactly an upstanding citizen if you know what I mean."

"Okay. What else?" Jethro knew she was holding something back. He hated the feeling that he was questioning her like a suspect but his gut was telling him there was more, a lot more, to this story than she was saying.

"Nothing else. Just leave this alone, Jethro."

"I don't understand why you won't talk to me about it. Whatever he's calling about obviously upsets you and obviously is more just his brother wanting to visit."

Jenny's temper flared at that comment. She was very tired of Stephen calling but she was determined to handle this herself and not involve Jethro. In truth, what Stephen was telling her was beginning to scare her but again, she didn't want Jethro involved. Her pride was getting in the way of common sense.

"I can't believe you of all people would question me about not talking about things. You are the king of keeping things to yourself."

"Yeah I am. I don't talk to you about work because I don't want you to know about all that crap. You get some of that in your head and it's hard to get it out but this is not like you Jen and that's what worries me."

"Well, just worry about something else for a while. I can take care of this and I will."

Jen got into bed and turned her back to him. Jethro stood by the side of the bed for a long time then he went into the living room and turned on the television. He wanted to go home and work on the boat but leaving now would send Jen entirely the wrong signal. Jethro was determined not to walk away but tonight it was hard to be there. He knew she was right; he did keep a lot of stuff to himself but normally she didn't and that was the problem. He accepted that he was getting a little taste of what Jenny put up with when he shut down. He didn't like it but he tried to accept it. After staring blankly at the television for twenty minutes he gave up and went to bed.

Settling in behind her Jethro put his arm around Jen's waist and kissed her shoulder. She shifted back against him and sighed.

"I'm sorry Jen. I just hate to see you upset. Will you promise to tell me if you need help?"

She didn't turn around but she grasped his hand that was holding her and kissed his fingers.

"Yes, I'll tell you if I need help. I love you, Jethro."

"I love you. Night."


	24. Chapter 24

**Trust Me**

As far as Jethro knew Stephen didn't call for almost two weeks. He was beginning to believe he had finally given up whatever he was calling about. Jenny was not on edge anymore and things were looking up for the three of them. Jethro was planning a short vacation in August to spend some time with his father and he wanted to take Jenny and Sam with him. It was a busy time for her but he hoped to persuade her to take a week off and enjoy some time away with him. And, he wanted his dad to meet her and Sam. This was a big step for Jethro; the last big step before he was going to ask Jen to move in with him. He planned to ask her on Sunday afternoon while they were out riding.

When he got to the stables he went to Jen's office and before he got in the door he knew something was very wrong. He could hear Jenny yelling at someone and quickly stepped inside to find out what was going on. Just as he entered her office she slammed down the phone and stood up to leave.

"Whoa, what's the matter? What's going on?"

"Not now, Jethro!"

Jen stormed out of the office with Jethro on her heels. She was so pissed she just began walking in circles clenching and unclenching her fists in frustration.

"Yes, now! What the hell is going on? That was Stephen wasn't it?"

Jen whirled around to face him. He had never seen her so angry or maybe it was scared; he wasn't sure what he was seeing but it was bad.

"Yes, it was Stephen," she yelled.

"Tell me what he's calling for."

"Why? It has nothing to do with you!" By now Jen wasn't yelling but her emotions were still in a storm. It made no sense that she wasn't talking to Jethro about this but for some crazy reason she wouldn't give in and tell him.

"Because it's upsetting you and I love you. Is he threatening you Jen? Or Sam? Is that it?"

"No. And what if he was? You're not my protector Jethro! I'm a grown woman and I can take care of myself."

"Dammit, Jen how can you say that to me? You know how I feel about that. You say you want me to be Sam's dad and now you won't talk to me about something that obviously has to do with him. Of course you can take care of yourself but why can't you let me know what the hell has got you so upset?"

"Because I just can't! It doesn't have to make sense to you Jethro. Go home and leave me alone."

"What? Go home? What the hell is the matter with you?"

Jenny didn't answer. She just stormed past him back into the office and slammed the door. Jethro stood in the middle of the yard dumbfounded by what had just happened. Something was definitely wrong, very wrong, and he was damned sure going to find out what it was. First thing tomorrow, McGee would have some tracking and hacking to do. For now, Jethro did as Jenny demanded. He went home. He spent the rest of Sunday working on his boat and getting drunk. Maybe the whole family thing wasn't going to work. It seemed that he and Jen were always on the verge of either killing each other or making crazy love to each other. Why did it have to be so hard, he wondered. Maybe they were too much alike. He desperately wanted to make things work with Jen but for some reason it wasn't. Jethro fell asleep under the boat that night for the first time in a long time.

When Jenny slammed her way back into her office she collapsed in her chair crying. For the life of her she couldn't understand what she was doing and yet she seemed powerless to stop herself. Why was she pushing Jethro away? Was she trying to force him to call it quits so she wouldn't have to? Jenny got herself under control and taking some deep breaths she reached for the phone to call Jethro. She let it ring and ring and finally it went to voice mail. She left a message and hoped he would call her back.

"I'm sorry. I love you."

Jethro didn't call her back that day or the next day either. The team caught a triple homicide at Quantico early Monday morning and were occupied with that for most of the week. He did call on Tuesday morning and told Jen what he was involved in.

"I don't know when I'll see you but I will be there when I can. We need to talk Jen. We can't go on like we have been."

"I know. Just be careful and come see me when you can. I do love you Jethro."

"Do you trust me Jen?"

"Yes. It's just. . .I don't know what it is but we'll talk about it."

"Okay. Gotta go."

It took three more days to find their bad guy but by Friday afternoon it was all over except the paperwork. Finally at 7:00 the last report was signed and submitted and they all piled into the elevator. Jethro was headed for his car when his phone rang.

"Yeah, Gibbs."

"Hey, it's me. Are you still working?"

"Just getting in the car to head home. Are you home?"

"Yes, but I'm about to go out. My aunt has been in town for business and leaves tomorrow so we're going out to dinner. I didn't know if you'd be free but you're welcome to join us if you want."

What he really wanted was a hot shower, a cold drink and some really good make-up sex. Didn't look like that last part was happening.

"I think I'll take a rain check. I'm beat so I'm going home tonight. Will you be working tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Why don't I bring Sam out and we can go riding in the afternoon?"

"That sounds good. I'll see you then. I love you, Jethro."

"I love you. Have fun tonight."

When he got home Jethro called his dad and they talked for almost thirty minutes. His father asked about Jenny and Jethro found himself telling his dad everything that was going on. He told him how frustrated he was with her and how much he wanted this relationship to work out. It was the most honest and open Jethro had ever been with his dad. It was like a faucet had been turned on and he couldn't stop himself.

"If you love this woman you will have to be patient just like she is with you when you push her away. We're not the easiest of men to live with, son. Maybe she's afraid of how she feels and isn't sure what to do. Who really knows what women think?"

"Not me that's for sure. I think my track record proves that."

"It sounds like you really want this to work and if you do just hang in there. Bring her and that little boy up here and we'll have a real family visit. Maybe that will ease her mind about things."

"I hope to do that in a few weeks. Thanks dad. I'll call you next weekend."

"Night, son."

Saturday, just after lunch, Jethro picked Sam up at home and took him to the stables so they could all go riding. He was looking forward to the afternoon and then to the night. His talk with his dad had made him feel a lot better and he was once again determined to get things back on track with Jenny. When he got to the office Sue was there but Jenny was not. Sue had a funny look on her face and immediately he knew something was wrong.

"What's the matter? Where's Jen?"

"She got a phone call and took it outside. She paced around for a while then took off toward the barn. She was yelling at whoever was calling."

Jethro shook his head in disgust and handed Sam over to Sue.

"I'll go find her. You watch this guy for me please."

He found her behind the new barn yelling at who he assumed was Stephen on the phone. He stood out of sight and listened.

"I don't care what you have to do he better not come here! He's your damned brother, Stephen, you fix it."

She listened for a few moments and then said, "He's crazy and I don't want him anywhere near my son. You find him and keep him away from us!"

She closed the phone and threw it against the wall of the barn. At least he wouldn't be calling her on that phone anymore. Carefully, Jethro stepped into view. He was glad she wasn't armed because the look on her face was murderous. He didn't care though because what he'd just heard had him furious and worried at the same time.

"What the hell is going on Jenny?"

"Not now."

"Yes now. That was about Brandon wasn't it?"

Jethro was about ten feet away and walking toward her. She put her hand out and he stopped. She didn't want him to touch her. Jen took a deep breath.

"Yes, it was about Brandon."

"Go on."

"Like I told you before, Brandon has always had a crush on me and he wants to come see Sam. I don't want him to and I was trying to make Stephen understand that. Brandon has been in some trouble; he's not dangerous or anything. He's been into drugs in the past and he's just not someone I want around Sam or myself."

Jethro had been lied to by some of the best and Jen wasn't one of them. He could feel the anger coming off her in waves and he wasn't sure if it was directed at him or Stephen or Brandon.

"What else."

"That's it."

"Bullshit. You were too pissed for that to be all there is to it. Tell me the truth dammit."

"Why won't you leave this alone?"

"Because I love you. And Sam. Why won't you let me help you?"

"Like you helped my father? No thank you. I'd like to wake up tomorrow."

Jethro felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. He literally stepped back he was so shocked and hurt by her statement. He couldn't believe Jenny still felt that way after all this time and all they'd been through.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Jenny regretted them. The look on Jethro's face told her she had made a horrible mistake.

"Oh, god Jethro, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. Please."

She tried to move toward him but he put his hands up and shook his head. He was backing away from her. He had regained his composure but the stricken look on his face was something Jenny wouldn't forget for a long time.

"Don't Jen." He turned and walked away. After he'd gone about twenty feet he turned around to her and said, "Sam's in the office with Sue." He wanted to tell her he loved her but he couldn't. Instead he just walked away.

Jethro went to the gym at the Navy Yard and took out his anger and hurt and frustration on the heavy bag and the weights. Then he went to the shooting range and killed about twenty-five paper bad guys. By the time he got out of the shower and dressed he had calmed down considerably. He wanted to give Jen the benefit of the doubt but she had hurt him to the point that he wasn't sure what to do with his feelings. He was smart enough to know that it hurt so much because, a) he loved her, and b) he still blamed himself for Jasper's death.

When he got home his phone was ringing. "Gibbs", he answered.

"Jethro, I'm sorry. Please don't hate me."

"I don't hate you Jen. I love you."

"I don't know what to do Jethro. Can we please talk about today?"

"Yes, but not tonight. I'll be there tomorrow to watch Sam like usual and we can talk when you get home. Okay?"

"Alright. Are you angry with me?"

"I'm worried about you Jen. About us. We have to get this sorted out."

"I know. Let's take tonight to get ourselves together and then tomorrow we can talk it all out. Please forgive me, Jethro."

"I already have Jen. I'll see you tomorrow."


	25. Chapter 25

**Trust Me**

On Sunday Jethro arrived at Jen's house just in time for her to leave for work.

"I was afraid you weren't coming."

"I said I'd be here."

"I know. I'm sorry. Maybe I should stay home and we can talk."

"Go to work, Jen. We have plenty of time to talk tonight."

"Okay. I'll try and be home early." Jen wrapped her arms around him and kissed him gently on the mouth. "Love you."

Jethro and Sam had breakfast then went outside so Sam could

play in the yard while Jethro read the paper. When Sam got tired he climbed into Jethro's lap and they went in the house. After a quick cleanup and a snack Sam fell asleep on Jethro's lap in the recliner. Before long they were both asleep and almost two hours later it was Jethro's phone that woke him up. He looked at the screen before he answered.

"What is it DiNozzo?"

"Uh, Boss, we've got situation here the director wants us to handle."

"What kind of situation?"

"Dead guy at the gate."

"Oh, that kind. I'll be there in twenty."

Jethro took Sam in and changed his diaper, packed some food, a bottle and other necessities in the diaper bag. He grabbed the extra car seat from the front closet and carried everything out to the car. After securing the seat in the car he put Sam in and buckled the safety harness. He checked the glove box to make sure his badge and weapon were there. He knew they were, but it was a habit to always check.

"You're going have to go to work with me little man. Your mom can come get you when she gets off."

Sam smiled at him and said three or four things Jethro didn't understand. He closed the door and walked around to the driver's side. There was a young man walking up the driveway carrying a flower arrangement. Jethro looked past him and didn't see a flower delivery van. Warning bells started going off in his head and he moved to open the door so he could get his gun. The young man smiled and said he had a delivery for Jenny Sheppard. Sam cried out for some reason and Jethro turned his head to look at the child for just a second.

Then time seemed to stand still. The young man dropped the flowers and with absolutely no warning produced a gun and shot Jethro in the chest. He stumbled back, grasping his chest in pain. The only thought he had was for Sam. He had to protect Sam. Jethro took a step toward the man and felt another bullet thud into his right shoulder. It spun him around and he fell to the ground. The whole thing took only a few seconds but it seemed to go on forever. Jethro barely registered the man nudging him out of the way with his foot as he got in the car and drove away. With Sam.

Darkness was quickly overtaking Jethro but he pushed it away. He managed to get his phone out and somehow he called DiNozzo.

"Hey Boss you on the way?"

"Don't talk. BOLO my sedan. West on Woodfern from my location. White male, jeans, gray shirt, Nationals cap. He has Sam."

Jethro coughed and struggled to breathe.

"Boss, what the hell happened? Where are you?"

"Shot. 6220 Woodfern. Ambulance. Now, Tony."

"On it Boss." Tony yelled to McGee to get an ambulance to the address. "Boss, talk to me. Stay with me."

"Can't." Jethro dropped the phone as he lost consciousness.

Julia, Sam's babysitter, had a new puppy and she decided to bring her down and let Sam play with her. She walked down the sidewalk to Jenny's house and as she crossed the street she saw Jethro lying in the driveway. Knowing the few seconds spent getting her mother would be worth the time she ran home screaming for her mom.

"Quick, Jethro's hurt. Get your bag. Lot's of blood."

"Grab some towels and call 911."

Julia's mother ran out of the house leaving the shocked teen to get the towels and the ambulance. When she got to Jethro his pulse was barely there and his breathing was shallow and ragged. Julia was right there with several towels which her mom used to try and stop the bleeding. She sent Julia to stand at the end of driveway and wait for the ambulance. She didn't want her daughter to watch Jethro die. She kept talking to him trying to get some response but he was still unconscious when the paramedics arrived. Then she realized his car was gone and she wondered where Sam was. She heard the ambulance pull up and called for Julia to go inside and look for Sam.

The paramedics took over and very quickly got Jethro on oxygen and IV's. They loaded him on a gurney and told Julia's mother they were taking him to Washington Trauma Center.

"You better call his family if he has one."

She nodded at them knowing it didn't look good for Jethro at this point. Julia came out of the house shaking her head.

"Sam's not here. The diaper bag and the car seat are gone too."

"Alright, we better call Jenny."

Julia looked around and saw Jethro's phone lying in the driveway. It was still open and connected to someone who was frantically trying to get someone to answer. She handed it to her mom.

"Hello, who is this?"

"NCIS Agent DiNozzo. Where's Agent Gibbs?"

"He's on his way to the Washington Trauma Center. He was shot twice. He's in bad shape."

"Thank you."

The next two days were chaotic but Jethro knew nothing about any of it. By the time he was transferred from the ambulance to the ER trauma center he had no pulse and had stopped breathing. The ER team managed to get him back but it was touch and go for the next twenty minutes as they tried to get him at least as far as an operating room. Luckily he was in one of the top trauma hospitals in the nation and the staff managed to get him stabilized enough for a surgeon to try and work his magic.

While that was going on Julia's mother got Jenny on the phone at work and told her what was happening. She immediately drove to the hospital. By the time she arrived Jethro's team was there. Tony was talking to a Metro Detective about the shooting and abduction of Sam. When he saw Jenny come in he went to her.

"What's happening? Where's my son?"

"Someone shot Gibbs and took his car with Sam in it. Where is Sam's father?"

The Metro detective had come up to speak with Jenny and was anxious to hear her answer to Tony's question.

"He lives in Wyoming. He would never shoot anyone. Where is Sam?"

"We don't know. We have an alert out on Gibbs' car. We'll find them. Do you know anyone who would do this?"

Jenny could barely breathe. She was so shocked at what was happening she was having trouble making her mind work. Surely to god Brandon had not done this. But did she want a stranger to have Sam? She couldn't imagine Brandon hurting her son.

The detective spoke to her, "Ms. Sheppard, I know this is difficult but do you know anyone who would take your son? Any old boyfriends, a stalker?"

"Sam's biological father's brother. His name is Brandon Kerr. He's been calling me, wanting to see Sam. Stephen told me yesterday that Brandon was in DC. It has to be him."

Tony shook his head and walked away to talk to Ducky who was coming back from the nurse's station. Something told him Jenny hadn't shared that particular piece of information with the Boss or he would never have been taken by surprise.

"What'd they say Ducky?"

"He's in surgery. Two shots, one in the right shoulder and one in the chest. Obviously, that's the one causing the problems. He lost quite a lot of blood before anyone found him. Do you know what happened yet, Tony?"

"Seems that Sam's uncle has been calling, wanting to see him. Jenny thinks he might be the shooter. Is the Boss going to be okay?"

"It's too early to say, Tony. They lost him twice in the ambulance and only barely managed to revive him in the ER. I'd say he'll be in surgery for the next couple of hours and if he comes out of that we'll see."

Tony looked at his teammates. He knew Metro PD had secured the scene but he wanted to process it himself.

"Abby, you stay here with Ducky while McGee, Ziva and I go to the scene. We'll take the evidence and stuff to the lab and then we'll be back. Probably no big rush on the lab stuff."

They all hated to leave but like Tony, they wanted to gather what evidence they could and hopefully find someone who had seen what happened. Tony went over to Jenny and the Metro detective and told them they were leaving.

"How is Jethro?"

"He's in surgery. Ducky said he's in pretty bad shape so we don't know yet." Tony wasn't feeling too generous toward her and it showed. He stalked off to join McGee and Ziva.

Jenny covered her face and sobbed. Ducky went to her and helped her to a chair. She was terrified for Sam but also for Jethro. If this was Brandon's doing she would never forgive herself for not trusting Jethro and letting him help her.

"Ducky, is he going to make it?"

"I don't know my dear. Jethro is awfully tough so I wouldn't count him out. A chest wound is very often fatal of course but he is in the best trauma center in this part of the country. Do you know what happened?"

"No, my neighbor called and said Jethro had been shot and someone had taken Sam. I came here from work. Jethro and I had a horrible fight yesterday and I said some really hurtful things to him. Oh, Ducky, if he dies, I'll never forgive myself."

"I'm sure Jethro had already forgiven you whatever you said. I know he loves you Jenny. And Sam. I know Jethro would have done anything in the world to protect Sam."

"Yes. He would have. This is all my fault Ducky."

Before Ducky could ask her to explain that the police detective motioned for her to speak with him and she stepped away.


	26. Chapter 26

**Trust Me**

Several hours later the police found Jethro's car at the Metro station in Springfield. Witnesses told them a man and a toddler boarded the Metro but no one knew to where. The police tracked him to the Amtrak station and discovered he bought a ticket for Richmond. He was arrested when he stepped off the train and Sam was soon reunited with his mother in DC. It all took just over eight hours thanks to fact that Jethro had been able to call Tony with the information right away.

While that was happening, Jethro was moved from surgery to recovery to ICU. He was listed in critical condition and his prognosis was guarded. Tony and Ducky kept vigil in his room while McGee, Abby and Ziva spent the night in the waiting room. Jenny was not there. She had left with the detective earlier in the evening when they got word Brandon had been arrested and Sam was being driven back to DC. They all figured she would come back once she got Sam back and knew he was alright. She did not.

Two days later when Jethro finally woke up she still had not returned to the hospital. Tony, for one, didn't expect her to. Something was off according to his gut and he figured she had bailed. He was really too worried about his boss to worry about her anyway. The first thing Jethro said when he woke up was, "Where's Sam?" Ducky assured him the child was fine and back with his mother and Jethro went back to sleep. On day five Jethro was moved to a regular room and ten days after that he went home.

The doctors all said it was almost a miracle he survived but his team knew their boss was just plain hard to kill. He never asked about Jenny and no one brought her up to him. She never came to see him and she didn't call. If he wondered why he didn't ask. In fact he barely spoke to anyone about anything. He allowed Ducky to drive him home knowing his friend would eventually ask him about Jenny.

"Are you sure you want to be here alone, Jethro. You know I have plenty of room."

"I'll be fine Duck. Another couple weeks and I can go back to work."

"Do you want to talk about it Jethro?"

"About what?"

"The price of coffee! The shooting, Jenny, any of it?"

"Not really. No point now."

A month had passed since he was shot and almost bled to death in Jenny's driveway and Jethro was scheduled to go back to work in two days. It was a Saturday evening when Ducky stopped by unannounced and found Jethro in the basement with the boat and a bottle of bourbon. Or, more precisely half a bottle of bourbon. The other half having already been consumed in the previous twelve hours. For a man going back to work in two days, Special Agent Gibbs didn't look very fit. He desperately needed a shower, a shave and a haircut. He had not gained back any of the weight he'd lost after the shooting. Ducky knew from looking at him he hadn't had a good night's sleep since he came home.

"You look like hell Jethro. When was the last time you left this basement?"

"Good evening to you too Duck. I was upstairs just this morning, or was that yesterday morning? I don't remember."

"Talk to me Jethro."

"What would you like to talk about? The boat? The weather? How Tony is doing with my team?"

"How about the woman you're in love with? Let's talk about her."

"Let's not."

"Jethro, I can't allow you to go back to work in your present condition."

"The hell you can't. I've been cleared by my surgeon. It's not up to you."

"Have you looked at yourself lately?"

"All I need is a shower and a shave. No big deal. I think I can manage that between now and Monday morning."

"Have you eaten a decent meal since you came home? Have you had a good night's sleep? Do you really think you're ready to lead your team in the shape you're in now?"

"I can lead my team just fine. I'll sleep tomorrow night and I'll be clean and well fed by Monday."

Ducky took a deep breath and looked at his friend. Jethro was leaning against the workbench, obviously about half drunk and not yet fully recovered from a serious gunshot wound. He knew his friend was hurting and not just from being shot. He decided to start over. He softened his voice and put his hand on Jethro's shoulder.

"Jethro have you talked to Jenny?"

"No."

"Do you plan to?"

"No."

"May I ask why?"

"I wouldn't know what to say Duck. I let her baby boy get taken from me. I was supposed to protect him and I failed. Again. She trusted me with her child and I let some maniac take him."

"You most certainly did not LET him take Sam. The man shot you twice and left you to die. There was absolutely nothing you could have done Jethro. She can't possibly blame you."

"Then why hasn't she called me? Where has she been?" Tears filled his eyes and choked his voice. "Of course she blames me. I blame me."

Ducky had never seen Jethro so emotional. He had never seen him cry. He loved Jethro like a son and it pained him to see his friend suffering so.

"Do you want me to call her and speak to her for you?"

"No. Just leave it alone. We were having problems anyway. She probably just decided to walk away. Leave it alone, Duck."

When Ducky left an hour later he had secured a promise from Jethro that he would at least go upstairs at some point and sleep in his bed that night. When he got to his car he phoned Tony.

"Tony have you talked to Jethro lately?"

"Not since he came home. You know we've been kinda busy and he's not big on company. Is he alright?"

"No he is not. I want you to go over there in the morning and make sure he's out of the basement. You'll see when you get there but he's not coping well with Jenny's absence."

"You mean she's never called him?"

"That's right. Tomorrow morning Anthony. And don't let him bully you."

"I won't Ducky. Thanks for the heads up."

When Ducky left Jethro sat on the floor and stared at his boat. The hull was almost finished but that wasn't what he was seeing. He was seeing Jenny standing beside him learning how to sand properly. He was seeing her laughing at him from the other side. He was feeling her arms around him as he kissed her and pressed her up against the frame. He closed his eyes and willed the images to go away. They didn't. Suddenly the pain and the loss and the regret were too much. He picked up his hammer and tried to make it all stop.


	27. Chapter 27

**Trust Me**

The next morning Tony walked in the house and called out for his Boss. He got no response so he checked the downstairs quickly then the bedroom. He knew Jethro was probably in the basement but Ducky had said he promised to sleep in his bed. One promise unfulfilled. Tony started down the basement stairs and stopped midway down. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. His boss was passed out on the couch and the boat was gone. Not gone really but not a boat anymore. It was destroyed. Pieces of lumber, so lovingly sanded over and over again, lay strewn all over the basement. The wood was splintered and piled haphazardly wherever it had landed. Tony wanted to cry at the sight of so much destruction.

He went over to the couch and carefully approached Jethro.

"Hey, Bossman, wake up." He gently shook Jethro by the shoulder then stepped back; just in case.

It took two more tries but finally Jethro opened his eyes and focused on his senior agent.

"Tony? What are you doing here?"

"Just came to check on you before the big day tomorrow. You don't look so good Boss. Are you feeling okay?"

"I feel like crap, DiNozzo. Anything else?"

"Yeah, why don't we go upstairs and you get cleaned up and we can go get some breakfast."

"No thanks."

"Yeah, Boss, you have to. Ducky told me to get you out of the basement. Come on, don't make me disappoint Ducky."

Destroying the boat had pretty much drained Jethro of any energy or emotion he'd had left. Now he felt nothing but emptiness and he didn't have what it would take to argue with Tony. He knew he had to get himself together and that he better get started because it was going to take a while. He managed to get up and started for the stairs. Thirty minutes later he was showered and shaved and they left to go eat. Tony did all the talking and Jethro just appreciated being outside for the first time in a month. Except for coming home from the hospital he had not been outdoors since he was shot. The fresh air felt good.

When they got back to the house Tony hesitated in the car.

"Go ahead DiNozzo ask what you want to ask."

"You gonna be okay, Boss?"

"Yeah, Tony I'll be okay."

"What about Jenny?"

"I don't know. She hasn't called. I let her baby get taken, that's a hard thing to forgive."

"Are you kidding! You didn't have a chance. She knew that guy was in DC and I know she didn't tell you. Did she? Maybe if she had been straight with you about him you'd have been prepared for the guy."

That was the first Jethro had heard that Jen knew Brandon was in DC. He sat there looking at Tony and trying to process what that meant. Tony was right, if she had told him he would have been much more cautious and protective of Sam. The whole thing could have been avoided if she had told him. Or maybe not. It didn't matter now. She had obviously chosen to stay away and end their relationship and it didn't really matter why.

"How do you know that?"

"Because as soon as the cops started asking her who might have taken Sam she came up with his name and said he was here. Said he'd been calling her and wanting to see Sam. She should've told you Boss."

"Maybe so. It doesn't matter now. Leave it alone, Tony. I'll see you at the office tomorrow. Thanks for breakfast."

Jethro went in the house and stood in the hallway for a long time absorbing what Tony had told him. Finally he went to the back deck and sat in the sun. If he had known about Brandon would it have made a difference? Probably not, he decided. There was no way to know and it was over now. Jethro had learned a long time ago he couldn't change the past. He was only recently learning to let go of the past and he had every intention of letting go of Brandon and the shooting. What was nagging him was that Jenny hadn't trusted him enough to let him help her. He still didn't understand why she had refused to even tell him what the whole thing was about. He had been sure she loved him and trusted him just as much as he loved and trusted her. Maybe not.

Jethro's father called while he was sitting outside thinking and they talked for a long time. Jackson had been calling every couple of days since Jethro was shot. Today Jethro finally told him about Jen not coming to see him or even calling.

"What do you want to do about it, son?"

"I don't know. I love her and Sam but is seems she's made a choice and I'm not included in it."

"You need to talk to her before you give up on this. People react in lots of ways to stress. Maybe she doesn't know what to say to you. At least tell her how you feel about her not coming to see you. See what she has to say."

"What difference will it make if she's already given up?"

"Maybe she blames herself. And maybe you to an extent. Sounds like DiNozzo blames her. If you don't clear the air you'll never be certain of whatever decision you make. I know you find it hard to confide in anyone but if you love this woman Jethro, you have to talk to her. Really talk, honestly about what she's done to you."

"When did you get to be such a damned authority on women, dad?"

"Not soon enough. Talk to her. And come see me."

"I will. Thanks dad, I love you."

While Jethro was talking to his dad and thinking about things on the back porch, Tony was on his way to the stables to find Jenny. Seeing the boat destroyed was a real jolt to Tony and he had to do something to help the Boss. He knew Gibbs loved Jenny and he was pretty sure she loved him. Somehow they had to get back together or life at work wasn't going to be worth living. And besides, Tony just wanted Gibbs to be happy. When he got to the stables he found David coming out of the office.

"Hey, you're one of Jethro's guys right?"

"Yeah, Anthony DiNozzo. David right? You were in the Corps with the Boss."

"That's right. How's he doing?"

"Have you seen him lately?"

"I saw him last week. He looked like hell."

"Well add another week of being in the basement and drinking bourbon to that and you have him today."

"Shit. Anything I can do?"

"Point me to Ms. Sheppard."

"You think she can help?"

"I don't know but I have to at least tell her what shape he's in. If she still cares at all maybe she'll be able to do something. You know why she's never been to see him?"

"Never? Not at all?"

"Not since the first hour. No calls or anything. Gibbs figures she blames him."

"Well, that's wrong. She blames herself. And I'll bet he blames himself."

"You know him well. It's a real cluster if you ask me."

"Definitely. She's out behind that second barn. Probably brushing Jethro's horse. She gives that horse a good brushing and extra feed every day."

"Thanks."

Tony walked through the barn and saw Jenny brushing a beautiful buckskin that was tethered to a fence post. She was talking softly to the horse as she brushed and patted her neck.

"Ms. Sheppard."

"Yes. Agent DiNozzo right? Can I help you?"

"I hope so. Can we talk?"

"Of course. Is Jethro alright?"

"Seems a bit late for you to be asking that."

"I've kept track through David. If you're here to pick a fight then you should just leave."

"I'm not here for that. I'm here to tell you some stuff and ask you a question."

"Go ahead."

"Do you still love Gibbs? Because if you do you need to start letting him know it."

"Okay, that's your question. What stuff do you need to tell me?"

"Since you didn't answer I'm going to be optimistic and say you still love him. Do you know that he blames himself for what happened and thinks you blame him too? Do you know that he almost bled to death because he was more concerned about telling me about the car and the guy who took Sam that telling me to get him an ambulance? Did you know the first thing he said when he woke up was, where's Sam?"

"Why does he blame himself? I'm the one who's to blame. I didn't tell him about Brandon. This is my fault not his."

"I agree but he didn't know that you knew Brandon was here until I told him this morning. He feels he should have protected Sam. That Sam was his responsibility and he failed you and Sam when he let Brandon take him. He thinks you haven't been to see him or called because you can't forgive him."

"Oh my god. I haven't been there because I'm so ashamed of what I let happen to him. We were fighting the few days before this happened and I feel so guilty about it all I just couldn't face Jethro. I don't blame him at all."

"Then you need to tell him that."

"Are you sure it still matters?"

"Hell yes it matters. Look, you remember the boat? That beautiful boat he's been working on for over a year. The one that was almost finished. Well, it's gone. Not gone exactly, more like there in another dimension. Like in a million little pieces all over the basement floor. He destroyed it last night because he's so screwed up over you and this whole mess."

"He destroyed his boat? I can't believe it. He loved that boat."

"Apparently not as much as he loves you. Look, Ms. Sheppard, even if you don't think you can work out whatever the problem is with you and Gibbs, he deserves to know you don't blame him for what happened to Sam. He loves that kid and he very nearly died trying to make sure we could find him in a hurry."

"Thank you Agent DiNozzo. I'll think about what you've said."

"I don't imagine thinking is going to do the trick. Why don't you try talking to owner of that horse instead of talking to the horse?"


	28. Chapter 28

A/N: This is the last chapter. Sorry I didn't get this up earlier in the day. I'm in the process of getting ready to move from Oklaoma to Virginia and began packing my house today. I have a one shot coming very soon then I'll probably be through writing for a couple of months. Hopefully, lots of ideas will come to me while I'm packing and moving. Thanks very much to all of you who read and reviewed so faithfully. I'm glad you enjoyed the story.

**Trust Me**

Tony turned and walked away leaving Jenny alone with her thoughts, and Nellie. For a long time Jenny stood looking out over her business. A business that was thriving but didn't excite her anymore. She knew she had just been going through the motions since Jethro was shot. She had been terrified he would not survive and when he did she was equally terrified of how he must hate her for letting Brandon get so close. She had stayed away out of guilt and shame. David had mentioned seeing Jethro a couple of times so she had known when he woke up and when he went home. She imagined David assumed she was seeing Jethro but they never talked about it. Knowing that Jethro was blaming himself, Jenny understood she had to go to him and make sure he understood she did not blame him even the least bit for what happened to Sam. She put Nellie back in her stall and headed for the parking lot.

While Tony was reading Jenny the riot act Jethro sat on the back porch deciding what he wanted to do about his situation. First things first he decided and went to the basememt to clean up the remnants of the boat. He was sorry for having destroyed her but he knew he could and would start again. It was as much the process as the outcome that he enjoyed anyway. He figured by the time he had the mess cleaned up Jenny would be home and he was going to go see her. He wanted to get his personal life sorted out before he went back to work in the morning.

In the time he had spent sitting on the deck, Jethro had realized he was still in love with Jenny and wanted her back in his life. He had relived all he times they'd been together. All the dinners, the rides, the long talks and the love making. He thought about her and Sam spending time in his house and he knew he wanted that again. He missed Sam almost as much as he missed Jen. He didn't understand why she hadn't been to see him and he needed to know that but he wasn't sure it would matter in the long run. He was ready to forgive her almost anything if they could be back together. But first he would take his father's advice and make sure she understood what her staying away had meant to him.

He was almost finished sweeping up the last of the boat scraps when he heard the front door open and close. The footsteps weren't Ducky's or Tony's and certainly not Abby. Soon he recognized them. Jenny. He went back to sweeping. He heard her move down the hall and into the kitchen and then he knew, she was on the landing. She took two tentative steps down before she called his name.

"Jethro, may I come down?"

"Of course."

She descended slowly into the cool, semi-dark basement. It looked so much larger now that the boat was gone. She saw him leaning on his broom. He had lost weight and he looked tired. He needed a haircut. When she reached the bottom step she hesitated and looked for the first time in over a month, into the eyes of the man she loved. She wasn't at all sure what she saw there.

"How are you?"

"Alright."

"I'm sorry Jethro. So very sorry."

"It wasn't your fault, Jen. Sam was my responsibility and I let him get taken."

"No, I should have told you about Brandon. I should have told you from the beginning why Stephen was calling. I should have let you help me. Maybe if I had. . . "

She had moved closer to him now but still they were separated by more than the space between them. Jethro actually stepped back and leaned against the workbench, the broom handle held in front of him as if it were some sort of shield.

"Why didn't you?"

Jenny spread her hands in front of her and shook her head. "I honestly have no idea. At first I thought it was no big deal. My pride and my stubborn nature just took over. Maybe I was getting back at you for shutting me out during the rapist case. It makes no sense to me now. I'm just so very sorry Jethro."

He tried to interrupt but she stopped him. "No, let me finish please. I need to say this. I should have been there when you woke up. I should have been there to help you when you were hurting. I was so scared when they said you might die. I'm so sorry for staying away all this time. I love you, Jethro and I beg you to forgive me."

Jethro looked at her and knew she was being sincere. He could see in her eyes that she was truly sorry about what happened. But, he remembered what his dad had told him earlier. And so, knowing it was going to hurt her and maybe himself too he had to tell her what her staying away had meant to him.

"Do you have any idea how hard it was lying in that hospital bed wondering if Sam was okay?"

"Surely they told you he was found and he was unhurt."

"Would that have been enough for you, Jen? Just having someone tell you. You asked me to be Sam's dad and that's how I think of myself. I needed to see him, to hold him and know for sure he was alright."

"I never thought of that. I'm sorry."

"I laid there every day thinking, today will be the day Jen comes to see me. Today will be the day I get to feel her touch, see her beautiful face and hear her tell me it's all okay. But you never came."

Jenny was crying now but he couldn't stop. He wasn't trying to hurt her but he needed to finish what he'd started.

"Finally I just quit hoping. I realized you weren't coming and then I realized why. You blamed me for letting Sam get taken. I already knew it was my fault but I guess I'd been hoping you'd forgive me and then maybe I could forgive myself. I'm so sorry I let him be taken from me, Jen."

Now Jethro had tears in his eyes and he was physically and emotionally drained. Jenny closed the distance between them and took the broom from him dropping it on the floor. She reached for Jethro and he opened his arms to her. She fell into his embrace and they held each and cried for a long time.

All the emotional pain he'd been holding onto for the past month washed away with his tears. Feeling Jen holding him, rubbing his back and crying with him finally allowed Jethro to begin the long overdue healing process. Jenny finally understood what she had done by staying away and she was devastated by Jethro's admittance of his pain. She wanted desperately to repair the damage she'd caused. When they eased back from each other Jenny refused to let go of his hand. She felt as if she needed to hold onto him to prove to herself he was still there and willing to be with her.

"I don't know what to say Jethro. I never meant to hurt you but obviously I have. I never blamed you even for a minute. I blamed myself. I know how much you love Sam and I know what it meant to you that he was taken from you. I was too caught up in blaming myself and being ashamed of myself to think about you. I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am for all the pain I caused you Jethro. I have missed you so much in the past month. I love you. I don't know where we go from here but whatever happens you have to know none of this is your fault."

"Where do you want to go Jen?"

"Back to how we were before Stephen started calling. Back to when I didn't keep things from you."

"And if we go there?"

"I won't ever keep secrets from you again. Except maybe, the good kind; surprises, not secrets. Can you forgive me for the past month?"

"I can and I do. I'm much more concerned about whether or not you trust me Jen. We can't make it together if we don't trust each other."

"I do trust you Jethro. But can you trust me? Can you give me another chance after all this? It's a lot to ask, I know but it means everything to me. I love you with all have, Jethro."

"I believe you when you say no more secrets. I want us to work, Jen. But I have two conditions."

"Anything."

"First you kiss me right now."

She did. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him until he could barely breathe. The feel of her lips on his, her body pressed against him and her fingers in his hair reminded him how very much he loved her. Finally they broke apart but Jethro held her tightly letting her only far enough away that he could run his hands into her hair and look into her eyes.

"What's the other condition because if it's anything like the first I'm all for it."

"Second, you and Sam move in with me."

The look on her face was priceless. For the second time since he'd known her he'd rendered her speechless. Jethro smiled at her and brushed his fingers gently down her face.

"I love you Jenny Sheppard and I want you and Sam in my house. What do you say?"

"Yes, a thousand times yes."

END


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